Astray in Endeavor
by Erica T
Summary: There is a better summary inside. It's rated for any future events may occur in later chapters. In a nutshell, Ginny disappeared three years ago. Draco tries his best to find her.
1. Default Chapter

  
  


Astray in Endeavor

  
  
  
  


Summary: Ginny Weasley disappeared within a week of graduating from Hogwarts, and Draco Malfoy swore that he would find her if it killed him. Now, three years and an anonymous tip off later, it just might do that. And if he's not careful, her too. In order to protect the world and the woman he fell in love with from a new and perhaps even more dangerous threat, he must swallow his pride and team up with his childhood nemesis before someone else disappears.

  
  


Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm a University student. I have no money. 

  
  


Please Note: This is going to be a long and very complicated story. There will be plot twists and flashbacks, and they are not going to be in any particular order. It is a romance. And it is a mystery. It's a lot of things. I just hope it's good. Lemme know if it isn't. 

  
  
  
  


Chapter 1.

  
  


The first thing that he heard upon waking was the incessant drone of his muggle alarm clock. It was the only thing that could rouse him from the sleep caused by his sleeping draught anymore. He briefly wondered why he was taking it in the first place. Then he remembered. It kept the nightmares away. It was always the same anymore. The clock would go off, he'd hit it, get up, trudge to the office, fight with his assistant about the authenticity of information, go home, eat something, take the dratted potion and go to bed. It had been the same thing now for the last three months. Frankly, it was monotonous. 

  
  


Draco Malfoy hauled himself out of bed, and showered briefly. Everything was pitifully the same these days, and it didn't look like things were going to be getting any more exciting any time soon. Becoming a member of the Ministry had been the best thing to do at the time, but it was boring when there were no results. It was only when he arrived in his kitchen that he remembered that today was possibly an exception to his view on current life. He was getting a shiny new assistant today, and that meant another round of explaining his purpose in life to another Ministry hopeful. Joy. 

  
  


He banged into the Ministry building and flapped his arm at the irritating daily calls of greeting that came from the general direction of the main desk. The woman who usually manned it was uninteresting anyway. When he finally got to his office, he managed to escape the clutches of the simpering secretary that was always waiting outside the door in hopes to attract his attention. He flopped gracelessly into his chair and heaved a heavy sigh of relief. But, of course, the day had yet to begin. He cracked open his eyes and peered at the pictures sitting on his desk, as usual. 

  
  


To anyone who didn't know what Malfoy did at the Ministry, the pictures would seem to be innocent pictures of someone's home life. One might even assume that they were of his family. Or at the very least his wife, if he was married. One was a muggle photograph of a very pretty girl with deep brown eyes, and waves of auburn hair. Another was a wizard photograph of the same girl laughing at something a young man with black hair was saying to her, while another with red hair fumed in the background. The third was of her with a smirking younger version of himself, it was a fairly obvious picture. The fourth, and last photograph that he owned of her was the one that always intrigued him. He picked it up and gazed at it for what seemed like the thousandth time. The girl, looking far older than she should have at the time it was taken, was in deep conversation with another girl, this one with long bushy brown hair. They would talk, look up shocked, then smile, and then go back into conversation. He could still remember the day he'd stolen Creevey's camera in order to take that picture.

  
  


****

  
  


"I'll give it back in moment Creevey. This is a picnic, I just want to take a picture. I'm not going to hurt anyone with it."

"Well, alright, but only if you bring it right back."

"You have no faith Creevey."

  
  


Draco cautiously crept up on the pair of girls, so deep in their conversation. He couldn't figure it out. Ginny had been so subdued, whenever he visited lately. Usually she was all over the place, you couldn't keep her calm for more than five seconds. But she and Hermione had been sitting under the same tree for over an hour talking intensely about something or other. It was rare that you could get the two of them, together, and calm enough for a photo, he knew that Creevey had been trying for ages. And he wanted one for his own reasons. 

He was within five feet of them. Another foot, and it would be perfect. He stepped out from behind the bush. 

"I just don't know what to do about it Hermione. I haven't told anyone else yet."

"Well Gin...I,"

"Oh girls!" He called out, camera ready. They looked up, registered his plan and waved as he took the picture. Then they returned to their conversation.

"I don't know what to tell you...."

  
  


****

  
  


This was the last photograph anyone had ever taken of her. When Creevey developed it, he made two others, as per request, and Draco had given one to Potter as a peace offering. Even now though, they still skirted around each other. 

He never knew what they had been talking about. He'd asked Hermione later on, but she refused to explain. She had maintained that it wasn't her place to tell him, and that he should ask Ginny. The only problem was, and he had pointed it out to her, Ginny wasn't there. Ginny wasn't anywhere. She'd nodded and had basically said that it did present a slight problem. He supposed that he'd never quite forgiven her for that. 

He was sure that there was something in the picture that should give him some kind of clue, but so far, he could find nothing out of the ordinary. The snatches of conversation that he had heard meant nothing. It was a puzzle. 

Draco rubbed his eyes once and put the picture down. 

"What's the secret, Ginny. Where did you go? Why?" He muttered.

"Uh, sir?" Draco nearly fell out of his chair, when the nervous voice intruded on his reverie.

"What do you want?" He snapped, irritated. 

"I'm, uh, I'm your new assistant...." The younger man stammered.

"Name." Draco stated.

"Terence Orderly, sir." It looked as if the boy was trying very hard not to salute. Draco almost laughed. Almost.

"Hogwarts graduate?" 

"Yes sir."

"House?"

"Hufflepuff sir." That explained that then.

"Alright Orderly. I want you to understand exactly what you've just gotten yourself into. Do you know what I do here at the Ministry?" Malfoy asked the man in front of him. He shifted from foot to foot for a moment. 

"Sort of sir. They told me that you're the Chief Investigator for Missing Persons. I take it you look for missing people." Draco nodded slightly.

"That's almost correct. I do look for people. And I always find them. But when I'm not looking for other people, and I want you to understand this, my priority is locating one particular person."

"One person."

"Yes. One person. It's the only file in the filing cabinet. Read up, you'll need to."

"Why is that sir?"

"Because, I always need a new pair of eyes." 

"Ah." The younger man turned to leave the room, obviously to brush up on his reading. He paused for a moment when he caught sight of the pictures of Ginny half turned on his desk.

"Pretty girl. She your wife?" He asked a little nervously. Draco looked at him. 

"She could have been. If she wasn't missing." He said plainly. Orderly nodded and wisely left the room. 

  
  


It was two days, and numerous annoying questions, later when Orderly finally came up with something good. And even then, he'd had to have it dropped in his lap. The boy was by far the worst assistant the Ministry had ever thrown on Malfoy, and he was beginning to resent that.

Malfoy was standing by the only window in the room attempting to clear his thoughts when Orderly opened the door.

"Ummm...Sir?"

"Orderly, if you don't stop calling me 'sir' I will have you forcibly removed from the building. What do you want now?" He asked irritably. 

"I'm sorry. It's about the Missing Weasley case." Draco smiled slightly at the use of the name. When he had first accepted this job, he had made sure that the Ministry understood what his priority was. They had agreed and had dubbed the problem 'the Missing Weasley' case. Everyone knew what it was about, and always got out of his way when he was on a lead. 

"Well? What is it?"

"Well s- uh, Mr Malfoy, I found this in the mailbox when I went to check it this morning. It doesn't have a name on it, and I wasn't able to find out anything about where it had come from." Malfoy took the piece of parchment from the younger man's hand and examined it. His eyebrows shot up.

"Did you see the owl that left it by any chance?"

"No. And no one else did either. I asked." 

"Hmm. Thank you. Get a hold of Potter. Tell him I'll be visiting him this afternoon." 

"Yes sir. Oops, I mean uh.."

"Nevermind. But that's the last time, you hear?"

"Thank you Mr. Malfoy!"

"Just get on with it." Orderly shuffled out of the room and Draco sat to re-read the letter.

  
  


'To Draco Malfoy 

I know that you are looking for Virginia Weasley. Though I can not give you details concerning her exact whereabouts, I can say that she will be in danger from a rising Death Eater threat that is currently occurring. Potter will know what that is about. Anyone who did not know me will not be able to determine my identity, but you Malfoy, who did know me, should be able to, if you can remember the Ultimate Secret. And it's answer. Act swiftly my friend."

  
  


Draco thought hard. The Ultimate Secret had been a joke in the Slytherin house. It had started when he had entered Hogwarts for his first year. It wasn't really a secret, just something that they had used to emphasize the fact that Harry Potter was a gimboid. He tried to remember who had been in on it when they started it. Crabbe and Goyle and a few others....

  
  


****

  
  


"Harry Potter is a complete git." Malfoy ranted. Crabbe and Goyle watched him silently, not that they ever did anything else. That was when a couple of girls wandered over to see what was going on. He recognized one as Pansy Parkinson, a girl whose parents his father frequently spent time with. She was incredibly annoying. The other girl he didn't know. 

"What are you going on about?" The brunette asked snidely. Malfoy glared at her for interrupting. Goyle decided to add his two cents worth.

"Harry Potter snubbed him. The Boss thinks he'd've made a good Slytherin." He said. The two girls looked surprised, Malfoy himself was surprised, he hadn't heard either one of those two utter a whole sentence like that in their lives. The brunette nodded. 

"Yeah. If he'd been smart. But he wasn't. Deal with it." She said.

"He's a git." Malfoy stated again. "Imagine taking up with a Weasley." 

"So he's a gimboid. It's not like it's the Ultimate Secret of the world you know." She said. 

"Who are you anyway?" He asked her, irritated. 

"Me? Blaise Zabini. Nice to meet you Malfoy."

  
  


****

  
  


Blaise....he never found out what had happened to her. He knew that Pansy had been carted off to Azkaban with Crabbe, and Goyle had been killed on the battlefield. He'd been there for both occurrences. But Blaise....she too had disappeared after the end of the war. She had always been an odd ball in the Slytherin house. Always easy to talk to, was actually a fairly nice person. Draco believed that the only reason she had been put in Slytherin in the first place was because of the foul temper she had. She had been the one to finally pull Pansy off of him, and tell her to bugger off. And she had never been after anything other than a good friend. And then she was gone. Her family had been Death Eaters, he knew, but she had never admitted to being the same. She had even fought alongside with him. And then, she had disappeared. But, he knew the reason. She was tired of this, she had said at the time. Tired of the fighting, tired of the shadows of death looming over them all. She needed to go. She snapped her wand, and walked away. And Draco, hovering over Ginny's wounded body at the time, had watched her. 

"The re-surfacing of old friends. I wonder who else we'll find before this is over." He mused quietly before leaving the room. 

  
  
  
  


End of Part 1. 

Stay tuned for Part 2. 

  
  
  
  



	2. Searching

  
  


Astray in Endeavor

  
  


Disclaimer: I own nothing. Remember, University student. Hence, no money. 

  
  


Summary: Ginny Weasley disappeared within a week of graduating from Hogwarts, and Draco Malfoy swore that he would find her if it killed him. Now, three years and an anonymous tip off later, it just might do that. And if he's not careful, her too. In order to protect the world and the woman he fell in love with from a new and perhaps even more dangerous threat, he must swallow his pride and team up with his childhood nemesis before someone else disappears.

  
  


Chapter 2

  
  
  
  


"Potter." He greeted, opening the door. Harry Potter, resident top Auror looked up suddenly from his desk and proceeded to raise an eyebrow. Malfoy knew that it was odd for Potter to be seeing him standing in the doorway to his office. 

"Malfoy." He returned evenly. 

"I have a lead."

"Another one?" Harry knew exactly what he was talking about. It was always the same. Ginny Weasley was the only reason that two of them ever really talked in the first place.

  
  


**** 

"Malfoy! What happened to Ginny!" Hermione cried as the pair came into view. He surveyed them carefully. Granger had a gash down the side of her face and another on her arm, nothing serious. Potter looked a little more worse for wear, he was leaning heavily on Granger, one of his legs obviously broken. Weasley was on the ground just to their left, they had been in the process of reaching him when Draco had turned up carrying Ginny in his arms. 

"She followed me. My father tried to kill her slowly. He won't be bothering anyone again." He said simply. 

"Crucatious curse?" Hermione asked. He nodded. 

"I couldn't get away from Crabbe in time. But I think she'll be okay. We just need to get ourselves to a medi-tent." Harry nodded in agreement and levitated Weasley in order to bring him with them. They slowly made their way to the nearest camp. 

  
  


Later in the evening, after his own injuries had been taken care of, he went off in search of the tent where they were keeping the two injured Weasleys. He found Potter there with them. 

"What are you doing here Malfoy? Haven't you done enough?" Harry Potter asked tiredly, limping slightly to sit on the only empty hospital bed. Malfoy sighed and sank into a chair, next to Ginny's bed. 

"It wasn't my fault Potter. I wish you would believe that. I had no idea that she had followed me." He said. It wasn't fair, you weren't supposed to have to deal with nearly dying and then facing the possibility of losing your girlfriend, and then open hostility from a fellow fighter all in one day. He saw Potter sigh. 

"I know that. I'm sorry. I'm just so used to you as the evil bastard. I'm still adjusting to you as Ginny's boyfriend." Draco smiled a little grimly. 

"Well, I'm not holding it against you Potter. There are a lot of things that I do, but not that." He said. Harry smiled in spite of himself. 

"We never will be friends will we?" Harry said, after a pause. Malfoy looked at him.

"Probably not. But at least we aren't enemies." He replied. Harry nodded. Draco continued, "And besides, Ginny wouldn't enjoy herself around her own friends if we hated each other dreadfully." 

"You really love her that much?" 

"How much do you love Granger, Potter? Because it's the same between us." He said, absently taking the unconscious girl's hand. Harry only nodded once more in understanding.

  
  


****

  
  


"This one is real. I checked it myself." 

"So why are you telling me?" 

Malfoy took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly. This would be the second time he asked Potter for help. It was hard enough the first time, and that had been with Death Eaters breathing down his neck and the threat of Voldemort filling the wizard world with terror. This time the circumstances were somewhat different. 

"I need your help, Potter." Harry raised both eyebrows this time.

"The great Malfoy needs Potter's help? Pull the other one, it's got bells on." He said going back to the pile of paperwork in front of him. 

"I'm serious Potter. The tip off said she's been nabbed by a band of rogue Death Eaters." Harry's head snapped back up. He narrowed his eyes at Malfoy.

"Rumor has it that some have resurfaced." He confirmed. Draco stood directly in front of him, towering over the desk in brisk formality. The Malfoy way. 

"You know who they'll go after next don't you?" He said. Harry shook his head. 

"Your wife, Potter." 

"Why would they want Hermione?" He wondered.

"Think about it Potter. You and I pissed a lot of them off four years ago. And we didn't catch all of them. How else do you think they'd get their revenge? They went for Ginny first because she's not protected by all of the Potter charms and spells that you have on your family." 

"But why are you finding this out three years later? Why not when she disappeared?" 

"They didn't take her three years ago. She left on her own. Something that I plan to ask her about when we find her."

"We?"

"As much I dislike you Potter, you're in this as deep as I am. I don't intend to take on angry Death Eaters alone. Besides which, you have higher security clearance than I do, surely that has to count for something." 

"So, you're saying what, exactly?" Draco sighed slightly. Despite the position, and being married to the smartest woman Hogwarts had ever produced, the man could be decidedly dim. 

"I need you Potter. I hate you, but I need your help."

"Okay. Fine. I'll help you. But if this turns out to be a wild goose chase, never again." 

"It's a deal. Get your wife here as soon as possible."

"Why?"

"Because, despite all of your protection spells, she'll be safer where you can see her. There's no point in endangering her needlessly." Harry nodded. It was an annoying habit he had. A few brief moments later, Hermione Potter was sitting in the extra chair in the room attempting to calm a fussing baby. 

"Oh wonderful. Potter's been breeding." Draco commented. 

"Malfoy." Harry said, his tone warning. Hermione even sent him a death glare. 

"Sorry."

"Look, what's going on here? I had to wake Andrea up and apparate here to listen to Malfoy?" 

"He's got a lead on Ginny." 

"Oh." Hermione sat up a little straighter and paid more attention to what they were talking about. 

"So what was this tip off anyway?" Harry asked. Malfoy pulled the piece of parchment out of his robe pocket and dropped it on the desk. Harry raised his eyebrow again, and reached for it. He read it and then tossed it on the desk again. 

"So who wrote it?" He asked.

"Blaise Zabini." 

"She disappeared right after the war. How do you know for sure?"

"Only four people besides me knew what the Ultimate Secret was all about. Three of them are incapacitated. That only leaves her."

"I see." Harry still looked doubtful. 

"There's a writing charm on the paper. I don't know what the counter charm is, so all I know is that handwriting is not the writer's real script." Hermione got up and picked up the parchment, handing the now quiet baby to Harry. She drew her wand and poked it carefully with her wand. 

"You're right. There is a charm on it."

"Can you lift it?" Harry asked.

"I think so." She said. She began murmuring a few slight incantations to it. Her wand flashed a brilliant shade of blue, and the parchment flared for a moment. 

"There. That's got it." She handed the parchment to Draco and he examined it again. It was definitely Blaise's handwriting.

"It's her handwriting alright." He said.

"So, now the question becomes; how does Blaise Zabini, a woman who fought with us against the Dark Lord, know about Death Eater movements?" Harry wondered out loud. 

"That is only one of the many questions that we have to find the answers too." Malfoy mused. Harry nodded again. 

"So what now?" Hermione asked, beginning to pace the room.

"Now, Potter finds out exactly what this new Death Eater threat is all about, and I start trying to figure out where Blaise is. Then we can start getting somewhere." He turned to leave the room, but was stopped by Hermione's voice.

"We will find her Draco." He gave her slight smile.

"I know. Of this, I have never had any doubt." 

  
  


Draco was well on his way through his fifth cup of coffee when he finally got results. Creevey's head appeared in his fireplace, looking sleepy and annoyed. 

"Alright Malfoy. I found her for you. It took me a great many favours, and a considerable amount of charm, but Blaise Zabini is working in a bar in Manchester. It's called The Fighting Bear. She doesn't use that name anymore though. Calls herself Barbara Sabine. Her shift ends at midnight." He said. 

"Creevey, I owe you one."

"Correction. You owe me at least twenty. But find Ginny and we'll break even." He said, before disappearing. Draco quickly found himself something that would pass as Muggle clothing and apparated to an alleyway outside the Fighting Bear. It was ten to midnight. He sauntered into the establishment carefully, trying not to look like he wasn't a Muggle. Came across quite well actually. He sat down at a table close to the back and gazed intently around the small bar. It was smoke filled, and crawling with drunkards, but cozy in a weird sort of way. It was difficult to see, but Draco could just make out several patrons and the waitresses serving them. Blaise wasn't one of them. 

"What can I get you sir?" A voice asked from his left. A Muggle waitress was standing there, looking tired and annoyed. Seemed to be going around. 

"Actually I'm looking for someone. Maybe you know her, Barbara Sabine? We're old school friends." The girl wrinkled her nose in thought. 

"Oh yeah. I know her. She gets off in a minute, lucky bitch. I'll tell her to come over 'fore she leaves." With that the girl whirled around and stalked away. A few minutes later another young woman appeared close by and peered at him. She didn't look like Blaise, but he supposed people change. She approached carefully. She studied him again. 

"Well, well, well. I was not expecting you to find me so fast." She said at last.

"Blaise?"

"Barbara. But yes. That's who I used to be." She sat down in the empty chair across from him. Draco sighed and sat back in his chair and studied her in turn. She'd bleached her hair at one point, and it was in the process of growing out. She had lost weight. And she was dressed as a Muggle. That made sense considering how she was living now. 

"How?" He asked. She looked at him blankly.

"How what?" 

"How do you know what the Death Eaters are doing?" She laughed.

"You get right to the point don't you. Have you acted yet?"

"Of course I have. Potter's going over information right now. Answer the question."

"They won't leave me alone. I hear them all the time, and I cannot escape. I know things that I shouldn't, and they will eventually kill me for it." 

"Who? What can you hear? What is going on?" Draco demanded. Blaise snapped her eyes up to his. Then she rolled up a sleeve. 

"I never told you about this, did I?" Draco looked down at her arm. There was part of a Dark Mark emblazoned on her arm. At his raised eyebrows. "Half way through the ceremony I changed my mind. I had to get out fast, and didn't think anything of it. I didn't find out until later that due to the susceptibility of my mind, I was going to be plagued by Death Eater voices in my head." She explained quietly. 

"What did you do?"

"I went to Dumbledore. I told him I could help. How do you think we were able to set up War camp so close to where they were? A war won as quickly as possible, and the only cost was my sanity."

"That's why you left."

"That's why I left. And I was fine too, until they came back." 

"And now you can hear their plans."

"Yes. Not all of them, but I do know bits."

"What do you know? Why did they take Ginny?"

"I don't know that. I don't know where they are. But I do know that they're going to try to bring Voldemort back again."

"How?"

"That, I don't know either. Something to do with people who have been in contact with him. And some kind of ancient ritual." 

"Ritual?"

"Yeah. Can't remember what they said it was. But Ginny's a part of it. Sacrifice probably."

"So why did you tell me. When you left I figured it was for good."

"It is for good. I don't want to see another wizard for the rest of my life. So unless it's an absolute emergency, I don't ever want to see you again. Do you understand?"

"Blaise, if you're in danger surely..."

"If I'm in danger, I'll face it myself Malfoy. Good luck finding Ginny." She got up to leave.

"Wait! Blaise, if you've been living as a Muggle for so long, how did you know I was looking for her?" 

"I can't tell you that. See you around Malfoy. Don't come back here again." And then she did leave. Disappearing out the door and into the night as she had done four years past. He sighed, and then left himself.

  
  


He didn't know what he was expecting when he re-appeared in the living room of the stately Malfoy Manor, but it wasn't Harry and Hermione Potter sitting in his living room waiting anxiously. He did a double take, and then collected himself. 

"What on earth are you doing here?" He asked. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. 

"They've been in our house." He told him. 

"The Death Eaters?" Hermione nodded.

"They must have been looking for me. But I was with Harry all night. You were right Malfoy. I was next."

"So why are you here then? Surely if you can defeat the Dark Lord himself, then you can take on a bunch of Death Eaters."

"The house itself was supposed to be breach proof. If they could get in there, then what difference would my presence be?" 

"You have got a point there. Alright, what are you going to do now? Why couldn't you go to someone who actually likes you?" Harry frowned in annoyance, but before he could bring up a stinging reply, Hermione interjected.

"Think about it Malfoy. Who would look for the Boy Who Lived in the house of the bane of his existence? No one would ever suspect Draco Malfoy of helping out his old enemy." Draco frowned, but then his face cleared. 

"Alright fine. You can stay here, I'll even put up a couple of charms for you. But I warn you, if that baby screeches too much I'll send you to Longbottom's." He said, leaning back into his chair. He heard Potter chuckle and Hermione huff, but they seemed pleased. It wasn't much of a threat, he didn't mind babies. And despite Longbottom being a good friend all around, he still wasn't the greatest wizard in the world. In fact, often a rescue detail had to be dispatched in order to fix something that had gone wrong over at his place. Parvati tried hard to keep problems to a minimum, but the poor woman could only do so much. Secretly, Draco believed she enjoyed chasing down spells that went wrong, probably gave her an adventure. 

"Well, if you could point the way Malfoy, I need to put Andrea to bed. And myself as well, I'm exhausted."

"Sure. Second left at the top of the stairs. It's the best guestroom available." 

"Thank you, Malfoy." He watched Hermione get up off the couch and make her way to the stairs in the front hall. She stifled a yawn and adjusted the baby in her arms. Harry watched her every movement with evident concern. When she was gone Draco spoke again.

"Problems, Potter?" Harry's eyes snapped back to him and he glared momentarily.

"Not really. Just....well, she only had the baby a month ago. I don't think she can help us much on the battlefield this time around."

"You didn't want her on the first one. If I recall correctly, it was too dangerous." 

"Well, if you'll remember, she practically beat me over the head for suggesting that she stay behind. And she was a big help then. Just like Ginny was." 

"I do remember. But you are right. She can't fight this time, she's not strong enough yet. We'll probably have to tie her down though, to keep her away." 

"That's what worries me. But I can't just dismiss her."

"Don't worry about it Potter. We'll burn that bridge after we cross it." 

"True. So..."

"So what?

"Any luck finding Blaise?"

"Actually yes. I had to bother Creevey again, but it worked."

"How many times are you going to call in Colin before people realize that you don't do any of your own work?"

"I do my own work. I only call Creevey when it needs to be snappy. I consider his position at the Prophet one of my assets." Draco said, concealing a grin. Harry shook his head smiling slightly. 

"You're strange. Anyway. What did she have to say?"

"Not a lot. She hears Death Eater voices in her head. Not always, and never the whole story. But they're going to try and bring old Voldemort back. Again." 

"It figures. What does Ginny have to do with that?"

"She doesn't know. And she doesn't know exactly how they're going to go about resurrecting the old corpse. Just some kind ritual. After that, she told me to sod off and leave her to deal with her problems her way." Draco finished. Harry's brow furrowed in thought. 

"Ancient rituals concerning the resurrection of an authority figure.....hmm.....We might have to get Hermione to look those up. If nothing else she can do some research this time."

"She always did research Potter."

"Yes, and every time we fought something she always wound up injured in some way." Draco held up his hands placatingly. Harry continued. "Anyway, if anyone knows ancient rituals it'd be Hermione." 

"You've got a point there." 

"All I've got is file after file on the Death Eaters that escaped capture, or evaded incarceration. There's very little about where they may have congregated, or when. Even where they're going is not certain. But if they're planning a ritual, then they'll need a place with a history of magical properties."

"Like where?"

"I don't know. That's more research I suppose, or else...." Harry trailed off as if struck by a thought. Draco recognized the look. 

"Or else wait until they strike." He finished for the other man. They looked at each other for a moment. Harry frowned again.

"We'll just have to stop them before that happens." He said.

  
  
  
  


End of Part 2.

Stay tuned for Part 3. 


	3. A Calm before the Storm

  
  


Astray in Endeavor

  
  


Summary: Ginny Weasley disappeared within a week of graduating from Hogwarts, and Draco Malfoy swore that he would find her if it killed him. Now, three years and an anonymous tip off later, it just might do that. And if he's not careful, her too. In order to protect the world and the woman he fell in love with from a new and perhaps even more dangerous threat, he must swallow his pride and team up with his childhood nemesis before someone else disappears.

  
  


Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm a University student. I have no money. 

  
  


Notes: This is a bit of a foofy chapter. There's no real action, save for a flashback and a nightmare, but it sort of fills in a gap or two, and it was fun to write. A small note to a couple of reviewers; Thanks for being concerned about my sentence structure, and I'm now a little paranoid about doing that again, and I am an English student, so the only reason the comma's weren't there in the first place was because I was writing those bits in the wee hours of the morning and my finger missed the comma key. And to the other girl, Ron's still alive, fear not, and will be featured a bit more later in the story.

  
  
  
  


Chapter 3

  
  
  
  


Draco wasn't used to houseguests. But, Hermione was right. No one would think of looking for the Potters in his house. Not after all the animosity between them. Even after an active and very conscious attempt to put their pasts behind them, the two men still really did not enjoy each other's company. They just weren't the right types to get a long. As Potter had put it four years ago, they would never be friends. Not enemies, but not friends either. It was just one of those things. He winced a little as a sharp wail filled the house. The kid had lungs, he'd give her that much. Probably got them from her mother. He wasn't used to babies in his house either. But, he figured that he probably could get used to it if he had to. Not that he wanted Potter to stay any longer than he had to. In the guestroom, he heard Hermione get up and pick up the baby, in attempts to quiet her. Lying in his own bed, he wondered when exactly he'd stopped thinking of Hermione as 'Granger' or 'Mudblood'. It had been a gradual change, probably, he thought, about the same time he started seeing Ginny and defying his parents. 

  
  


****

  
  


He grabbed her as she went by. She stifled a cry quickly, somehow knowing who had grabbed her. Then she swatted him playfully on the chest.

"I wish you wouldn't do that. One of these days I won't be able to keep from screaming." She said. 

"How did you know it was me?" He asked, leaning down, in an attempt to kiss her before she said anything. She managed to lean backward a second too soon, and his plan was foiled. He scowled in mock frustration.

"Ah, ah, ah, none of that now, you'll distract me. I have a class." He pouted. "You're the only one who pulls me into small dark spaces. So, how else would I know it was you?" She told him. He grinned at her. 

"You have caught me madam. Now what am I to do with you?" He said, gallantly.

"Oh I can think of a few things." She whispered, before pulling his head down to meet hers. 

"Ginny? Are you in here? I saw you disappear....What are you doing?" A soft voice called out of the darkness. Ginny wrenched away from him, and turned in his arms. She peered into the gloom.

"Herm? Are you spying on me?" 

"Of course not. I leave that to your brother, why? Where are you? Oh...hello Malfoy. What's going on?" Hermione came into view, and she stared at them, slightly puzzled. Ginny sighed. 

"We're seeing each other Hermione. We have been for a few months." She told the older girl. Hermione's eyebrows shot up. She was surprised, to say the least. 

"Ah. Okay. Well, I guess as long as you both know what you're doing. Just don't be missing classes to snog." She said, smiling a little. 

"You're not angry? Or annoyed, or upset?" Ginny asked, bewildered.

"Why should I? You're both responsible for your own actions. Come on, we're teenagers. We all need a break from reality sometimes." She said. Ginny grinned and threw herself onto Hermione, giving her the biggest hug ever. 

"Thank you Hermione."

"For what?"

"For trusting us." Hermione smiled, hugging the redhead back. She glanced up at Draco, a warning clear in her eyes. But he could tell that she did trust him. After all, he had changed. 

  
  


****

  
  


She had been the first one to accept Ginny and himself as a couple, that was what probably won her a decent amount of respect from him. While Ron Weasley was busy trying to rip his head off his shoulders, Hermione was smiling at them, while she and Harry forcibly held him back. In fact, it was probably her who convinced them to eventually leave them alone. Never the less, she was still married to Potter. And that made her a bit of a nuisance. He rolled over and glanced at the clock. It was 5:30 in the morning. Might as well get up. He rolled out of bed, and got himself showered and dressed. When he finished, he found Hermione pacing the living room floor, rocking her baby back to sleep. She stopped when she saw him.

"Did she wake you?" She asked, nodding her head to indicate the baby. 

"No. I was awake before the lungs set in." He said. She smiled. 

"That's pretty early to be awake Malfoy. Trouble sleeping?"

"Yes." She was a little taken aback by the bluntness of his answer. She frowned, and moved to sit on the couch. He flopped gracelessly into the armchair. 

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. But it won't hurt or help, so I don't see why I shouldn't." Hermione just looked at him. 

"Go on. Why do you have trouble sleeping?"

"Nightmares." 

"I see."

"No you don't. But that's not important. I have recurring nightmares, and taking a sleeping draught doesn't help much because I wake up in the morning feeling like I've got old socks in my mouth a hangover from hell. It's not fun."

"I don't doubt it. What's the nightmare? Or is that getting to personal for your liking?" Draco fixed her with a withering look, considering hard whether or not he really wanted to tell someone. He decided that it wouldn't hurt in the end. It may not help matters, but it couldn't hurt. 

"It is personal, Granger." He started, using the old name for the first time in a long time. "But I'll tell you anyway. There doesn't seem to be much point in keeping it secret." She had frowned at him for the use of her maiden name, but it cleared up almost instantly. She gently rearranged the baby in her arms, she had fallen asleep again, and sat back to listen. Draco closed his eyes.

"It always starts off the same...."

  
  


****

  
  


Draco looked around the forest clearing, warily. It was oddly familiar, though he couldn't say why. There were dark shadows coming from every which way, something that he did not like in the least little bit. Something rustled to his left, and he whirled around to see what it was. 

There wasn't anything there. But, that particular something rustled again, and this time Draco reached for his wand. Only to find that it was missing. Here was a good clue that something was very, very, wrong. The rustling came again.

"Whatever you are, you can't intimidate me like this." He said. The rustling stopped. A twig snapped, then all was silent again. Then someone burst out of the bushes and cannoned into him. 

"Hey!" He shouted as he fell to the ground. "Watch what you're...Pansy?" The person looked up at him, and smirked. 

"Draco...darling. How wonderful it is to see you." 

"The pleasure is all yours I assure you. Where are they?"

"Where are who, darling?" She asked, batting her eyelashes.

"Who do you think, simpleton? Your marvelous Dark Lord worshiping friends." He said, standing up and brushing himself down. 

"I'm not going to tell you." She laughed, and skipped off into the bushes. Enraged, he charged after her. Within a second, he was standing in the middle of a circle of black figures. They were all looking up. When he followed their gaze, one of them laughed. And then Pansy's horrible cackle joined in. Up in the air, in partial body bind was Ginny. 

"Ginny!!" He shouted automatically. This time they all laughed at him. 

"It's too late for her Malfoy." Crabbe's voice taunted, from somewhere to his right.

"Should've left her alone. What were you thinking, a Gryffindor?" Goyle's voice laughed, behind him. 

"Oh well, Draco, darling. You don't have to worry about her anymore." The figures all fired streaks up at the girl.

"NO!" Draco yelled at the same time that she screamed. Then she dropped, like a stone. Panicking, he managed to catch her, and tried to rouse her. This provoked more laughter. 

"She's dead Malfoy. Get over it." 

"No. Never."

"Well, if you want to be like that, I guess we won't have to worry about you anymore either." Crabbe said. As if they were all one the figures turned and pointed their wands at him. Too late, he realized that he didn't have his wand. He held Ginny closer, and closed his eyes as he heard the damning words he was waiting for.

"Avada Kedavra." 

  
  


****

  
  


"That's horrible." Hermione said, her face ashen. 

"You're telling me. I have to go through it, night after night." He said, opening his eyes again. 

"Do you think it means anything?"

"I have no idea. It could be a representation of the past, or it could be a warning of the future. It's not always exactly the same. Sometimes it's just my father who kills her, sometimes it's me, by accident. Sometimes I have a wand, sometimes I don't. But in the end, we both end up dead. That's the one constant." 

"Could it be a combination?"

"A combination of what?"

"A combination of...say, the past and the future? I've heard that it can happen to some wizards." She mused. 

"It's possible. The bits with the Death Eaters are a bit like what did happen that night. Though, the bit about Ginny didn't happen." 

"I figured that one out on my own." 

"I'm not going to tell you what happened in the forest."

"I'm not asking."

"Okay."

"Okay." The baby made a gurgling noise and Hermione shifted a little to see if anything was the matter. Draco watched her intently. She looked up at him a moment later, and raised an eyebrow. 

"Would you like to hold her Malfoy?" She asked. He jumped a little.

"You what?" 

"Would you like to hold her? She's awake, and she hasn't eaten yet, so there's no danger of her spitting up on you." Hermione looked as if she was trying to contain giggles. 

"You would trust me with your baby?" He asked, a little quietly. She shrugged.

"Why not? I trusted you with one of my best friends." She said.

"Yeah, she disappeared, and now she's been kidnaped by Death Eaters." He snorted.

"Ah, but none of that's your fault. Whereas, if you drop my daughter, that will be your fault." She said, smiling at him. He studied her for a moment, then afforded her a small smile. 

"Alright. But only for a bit." He conceded. She grinned at him, and got off the couch. Gingerly, she arranged the baby in his arms and then smoothed back the girl's hair tenderly. It was very dark fluff, she was already looking like her father. At the moment her eyes were a shade of blue, but that would change. 

"So, bets on whose eyes she gets, yours or Potter's." He commented. Hermione laughed.

"Well, I think she'll get his eyes, but he and most of my family maintains that she'll have my eyes."

"What about Weasley?"

"Oh, Ron agrees with me. Said something about the hair coming complete with eyes." She said. Draco smiled a bit again, and looked at the little bundle in his arms. She really was tiny. But, he'd seen Hermione not long before she gave birth, and at the time, he'd been thinking anything but small. 

"What's all this then? Malfoy showing a compassionate side. Wonders never cease." Harry had come into the room. Hermione rolled her eyes, and carefully took the baby back. 

"Harry, that's not very nice. He was always nice to Ginny." Harry snorted. 

"Perhaps. But somehow Malfoy and a baby just don't really mix."

"Oh, posh. I think Malfoy would make a wonderful father. Now, I'm going to make us all a nice breakfast, and then we are going to get back to work on this mystery. You take Andrea, she needs changing."

"But-"

"No buts! I got up with her this morning, and you know the arrangement. When I get up, you change the first diapers. When you get up, I change the first diapers." She said, giving him the baby, and then flouncing her way to the kitchen. There was silence for a moment, presumably while she adjusted to the size of the place, and then, 

"Accio bowl!" Harry sighed, and looked at his daughter. 

"I guess it's you and me, kid." He said to the baby. She gurgled at him, and he grinned. 

"You do realize that she has you wrapped around her little finger." Draco said from his position in the chair. Harry glanced at him.

"Yeah. I know, they both do actually. And believe me, there's nothing else I'd rather be." He said, turning and heading back upstairs. 

"What I wouldn't give to be in your condition, Potter." Draco murmured to himself. "What I wouldn't give." 

  
  


End of Part 3

Stay tuned for Part 4 


	4. In which things get Interesting

  
  


Astray in Endeavor

  
  
  
  


Summary: Ginny Weasley disappeared within a week of graduating from Hogwarts, and Draco Malfoy swore that he would find her if it killed him. Now, three years and an anonymous tip off later, it just might do that. And if he's not careful, her too. In order to protect the world and the woman he fell in love with from a new and perhaps even more dangerous threat, he must swallow his pride and team up with his childhood nemesis before someone else disappears.

  
  


Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm a University student. I have no money.

  
  


Notes: If this Chapter took too long for people, I'm sorry, but it is mid-term time and I haven't had as much time to work on this. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter 4

  
  


Draco sneezed as the century old dust made it's way into his nose.

"Bless you!" Harry said, rubbing his own nose. Hermione shuffled by with another giant book and dropped it in front of Malfoy. Harry hid himself in his file folders in order to conceal a smirk. 

"What is this one??" Draco asked, trying to avoid another sneeze.

"Catalogue of all Ancient Celtic Rituals spanning the early centuries. Could be useful." She answered, setting herself down in another chair, and tugging at the volume of 'Irish Rituals from the Dark Ages' to open it. Harry grinned, and Draco knew why. This was the Hermione Granger that everyone remembers. Bookish, covered in dust, and completely happy in every way.

"Boy, it didn't take you long to leave me for someone else. I had no idea it was going to be someone who has been dead for centuries, mind you." Harry teased. Hermione flashed him a grin.

"Nonsense, luv. You know I like my men with a bit more flesh than this guy does." She said, showing him a picture of the author. It wasn't pretty. Harry grimaced.

"Oooh. Yeah, I'd forgotten about that minor detail." Draco rolled his eyes and tried to bury himself as far as he could into the book he was reading without setting off another sneeze.

It was another three hours later when Hermione whistled in amazement. 

"I think I found it." She said. Half an hour ago she'd traded the 'Irish' book for the large one on Celtic rituals. She set it down with a thump and the three of them peered at the page she pointed too. Harry read it out loud.

"'The Rites of Balthazar Resurrection of a king of Darkness.' That sounds about right. " He screwed up his eyes behind his glasses. Before continuing "'The Rites of Balthazar require great preparation, and strength of will. A subject containing the will of the resurrected must be prepared properly as the vessel of his return.' You know, this doesn't sound very Celtic." Hermione sighed.

"That's because all you know is the Muggle Celtic legends, Harry. Celtic Wizards are of slightly different ilk. They were pretty nasty." She explained. 

"Ah." Harry said.

"Well that does sound about right for a bunch of Death Eaters. Find the most evil sect of ancient wizards, and use one of their rituals to bring back their leader. But, where would they have to do this kind of stuff? Potter, you said they'd need a place with some sort of ancient magic right? Is that true?" Malfoy wondered, trying to peer at the extraordinarily small print in the book. He wondered how Hermione had been able to read it, Potter he could figure with those glasses, but human eyes weren't supposed to read things that tiny. 

"It is. They'd need a sacred altar devoted to the beings of Darkness in order to successfully complete the ritual." Harry reported after a moment of concentration. 

"So what we need to do, is locate any such altars, and see of we can pinpoint Death Eater movements around them."

"You make it sound so easy." Hermione sighed. Draco pondered for a moment, and then Harry voiced what he'd been thinking.

"What do you think 'A subject containing the will of the resurrected' means?" Hermione fell into thought for a moment. 

"Well, the 'will' could be the mind..." Draco mused. "But, that doesn't seem likely...." Hermione's eyes suddenly lit up, but then darkened.

"Oh dear." 

"What?"

"The 'will' could also be powers, couldn't it? Maybe the subject is going to be Harry." She said. Harry frowned. 

"Could be..." He trailed off as a sudden whump sounded from the fireplace in the corner of the Ministry's Library.

"Ouch! Damn." Someone cursed, and then the sound of a baby crying filled the library. Hermione looked a little puzzled, and got up to investigate. Before she could get very far though, Something bright orange came around from behind a bookcase, looking very flustered. 

"There you are!" Ron Weasley exclaimed when he saw them. Draco had to smother a laugh at what he was dressed in. He knew that Ron was playing for the Chudley Cannons, but had yet to see the six foot five man dressed completely in orange. 

"Ron, what on earth are you doing here? I thought you were on babysitting duty." Hermione huffed, taking Andrea from his arms. 

"Ah, right, sorry about this, old chums, but I do have a practice this afternoon. And Lav is still at work." 

"Oh for heaven's sake. Why did you tell us? We'd have asked Neville or Colin." Hermione looked about ready to start fighting with him again.

"Ah, but how can one resist the temptation of looking after this sweet little one? Besides, I didn't think you lot were going to be this long." He said, looking at his watch. "Hallo, Malfoy. Scared your new assistant off yet? I hear this one's a real dunce cap." He said, his grin not completely reaching his eyes. It never did anymore. 

"Actually no, Weasley, this one is quite resilient." Ron nodded. Harry sighed a little and shook his head. Ron had steadfastly refused to believe that Ginny was missing. If anyone were to ask him about her, all he would say was a vague mumbling about how she was fine, but he hadn't seen her lately to give any details. When Draco had started working on finding her, he had tried to ask him where she might have gone, but he never gave him a straight answer. Odder still, the Quidditch player had begun treating Draco as if they had been friends for years. It was mildly disturbing, and Draco wished fervently that he would stop it and face the music. At the time, Harry had believed that Ron had completely snapped, but Hermione had insisted that it was just his way of dealing with the circumstances, and they should let him work it out on his own. That had been three years ago. And there was no indication that he was going to be changing his mind any time soon. 

"Anyway, I must be going, so I will leave you to get on with your work. Enjoy!" Then the man apparated away.

"Hermione. I think three years is a bit of a long time to live in denial, don't you?" 

"For once I agree. That man can be so irritating. I almost wish he would disappear, but then his wife would want to find him, and I would be the one looking for him." Draco muttered. Hermione sighed. 

"Oh, don't think I don't know how bad it can be for him, but I don't know what else we can do, he won't even listen to his own mother about it anymore. It's as if he's tuned out of reality."

"It can't end well. What if we never find her, or what if she dies?" Harry wondered.

"Do not even contemplate that thought, Potter. It's not going to happen. Period." Draco hissed. He stood up and stalked down an aisle to put a book back. Hermione looked reprovingly at Harry. 

"You had to say that didn't you?"

"What? You can't say that you haven't thought of that possibility."

"Of course I have. But I have the sense not to say it in front of temperamental Slytherins. Who are sheltering us, in case you've forgotten."

"I'll apologize."

"Good." 

Harry didn't get the chance to do so however, Draco returned and studied them for a moment.

"Why don't you two keep at it here. I want to go and check a couple things out." A second later he apparated away. 

  
  


"There are twelve of them." He grinned in satisfaction as Harry jumped when he heard Draco's voice.

"What?" 

"Death Eaters. There are twelve."

"Now, how in the world did you find that out?"

"I beat Crabbe up for information."

"You what?"

"I beat Crabbe up for information. What's wrong with that?"

"I thought he was in Azkaban."

"He is. Just means he's easier to talk to." Harry shook his head, deciding not to think about it.

"So, who are they?"

"Names that you wouldn't know off the top of your head." Harry shot him an exasperated look.

"Malfoy..."

"So I brought them with me." He said. Harry rolled his eyes. 

"You're a prat." 

"And you're a git. So we're even." He handed Harry the folder he had been carrying. Harry flipped through it, and nodded.

"I'll check this out." He said, and then left the living room to hurry up the stairs. Draco watched him leave. It hadn't been quite as easy as he'd said. And he'd had to resort to measure that he wished he hadn't needed, but he got his information in the end anyway. It had been very strange seeing his ex-bodyguard like that. Not something he ever wanted to experience again. He sat back in the armchair that he'd claimed his favourite as a child. If there was one constant in the world, it was comfortable chairs. Of course, there was a point when Ginny had been his constant...a long time ago...

  
  


****

  
  


Malfoy stalked down the corridors, looking for blood. It didn't have to be anyone's blood in particular, but taunting a first year would be nice. Specifically a Gryffindor first year, but he'd take a Hufflepuff in a pinch. Sadly, the halls were empty, save for a ghost or two. They were never any fun, because they could always just leave in the middle of something particularly snide that you were saying. So, fuming silently, he barreled around a corner. 

"Bloody hell!" Was all he heard before he smacked into someone, and landed on the floor. What luck, he thought, now he had someone to take everything out on. Now, who was he going to be belittling in a minute. He glanced across from him and saw, to his great delight, the youngest Weasley. However, she spoke first. 

"What the hell is your problem, Malfoy? Do you ever pull your mind out of the dungeon long enough to even look where you're going?" She shouted, obviously irritated. He glowered.

"I could say the same about you Weasley. What was it this time? Oh of course, Potter, what else could it be." She looked shocked. He smirked, feeling victorious, but then things changed again.

"I was actually paying attention to where I was walking, you troglodyte. You were the one who was contemplating which of us to sacrifice to the Dark Lord." She hissed, scrambling to her feet and moving away. He shot to his feet instantly and grabbed her arm.

"Don't you ever insinuate such a thing again. Do you understand?" He growled. Her eyes narrowed and she slapped him. He staggered back from her. Raising a hand to his face, he stared at her dumbstruck. 

"Grab me like that again, Malfoy, and the next one will be aimed much further down." She said, so quietly, that the threat seemed that much more real. 

"You hit me."

"Well observed, Malfoy. You've got exactly five seconds to get out of my face, before I do something to yours." She said, turning away and stalking down the way he had come from.

He stared after her. 

"No one hits me." He said. Turning and wandering away, suddenly he felt a lot better.

  
  


****

  
  


He smiled ruefully. He supposed now that if he hadn't been so angry that day, he wouldn't be sitting here, wallowing in self pity. 

  
  


****

  
  


"Are you following me?" She turned around abruptly, glaring at him. 

"When did you grow a spine?" He retorted, circling her. 

"You look like a vulture when you do that." 

"I like vultures."

"It figures." She rolled her eyes at him. He found that eerily attractive. 

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" He finally asked, noticing how her brown eyes widened slightly. She drew herself up to her full height. Which, compared to his 6 feet and extra, wasn't very much.

"I am not afraid of you because there is nothing to be afraid of." She said. 

"Really? I'll bet there are some people around here who would disagree with you on that one." 

"That's because most of them haven't experienced real fear." 

"And you have? The Weasel's protected little sister?" He stopped and peered at her face. She blinked at him, and something flitted through her eyes. 

"Yes. I have."

"I don't believe you."

"Too bad. I have no control over what you feel. Only what I know is true." She told him pointedly, then she turned away and walked into a classroom. 

  
  
  
  


"Hey Weasley!" Malfoy yelled down the empty corridor. After weeks of daily insult matches with the little redhead, just missing one day was not natural. She stopped, turned slightly to throw a death glare over her shoulder, then started walking again. He frowned, then picked up his pace to catch her. 

"I said, Hey Weasley." He said when he reached her.

"I heard. I just chose to ignore." 

"Why?"

"Because, all we ever do is argue. And I don't feel like arguing with you today, I've already had enough with my brother." She muttered.

"So let's do something else, then." She stopped dead.

"What did you say?"

"Let's do something else, then." She stared at him, her eyes bewildered. 

"Why would you want to do something else with me? I'm a Gryffindor."

"Well, I look at it this way, you're the only person in the entire school who doesn't either fear me, fawn over me or hate me vehemently. So, by default that makes you the only person around here worthy of my time." She blinked at him. 

"I'm not sure if I should feel flattered or disgusted."

"Flattered would be nice. Come on, I know what we can do." He grabbed her hand, something perfectly natural at that moment, and dragged her out of the castle. 

  
  


**** 

  
  


He was roused from his memories by the sound of someone trying to break down his door. He got out of his chair grumpily. He reached for his wand, in case he needed it, the banging came again.

"What in the name of..." He flung open the door, wand pointed and at the ready, to find Orderly standing on his doorstep. But he wasn't alone. Standing with him was a small girl, about 3 years old, sporting strawberry blonde hair, and carrying a suitcase. 

"Can I help you Mr. Orderly?" He asked, irritated. He put his wand away, and glared hard at the office assistant.

"Uh....Good evening sir. This little girl just sort of..ummm...appeared in the office before I left. I...uh..I believe she belongs to you." With that, he apparated out of there, leaving Draco staring at the child. She was looking up at him like a deer caught in the headlights. He blinked. 

"Hello." He said. "Perhaps you'd like to come inside?" He held out his hand, to let her decide what she wanted to do. Hesitantly she placed one of her tiny hands in his, and he led her slowly inside. He closed the door, and led her into the living room, and settled her in the chair that he had just vacated. He examined her carefully. She looked very familiar, but he couldn't say where he'd seen her before. 

"Well then little one. Who are you exactly?" He asked quietly, so as not to frighten her. She looked up at him, and then pulled something out of her cloak pocket. She hopped of her chair and gave it to him. It was a piece of sealed parchment. Sitting on the couch, he broke the seal. The little girl crawled up next to him, and watched. He nearly had a heart attack when he recognized the handwriting. 

  
  


Draco:

I know I made a mistake when I left three years ago. I know because I missed you, and because of what I know is going to happen. They're coming for me, Draco. They want me because I house a piece of Voldemort inside my mind. They'll get Harry too, through Hermione. You mustn't let that happen, if they get both of us, they'll succeed. There's one more thing that you should know. The little girl you see now, she's our daughter, Draco. I'm sending her to you now because I know she'd be killed if she was with me when they come. She's why I left. Take care of her. Please. I love you.

Ginny.

  
  


Draco shuddered. He looked at the girl again, and the picture came to mind again. She had been sitting oddly, she was wearing looser clothing, she'd had her hand spread across her stomach. Suddenly the snatches of conversation made perfect sense. She hadn't known what to do about being pregnant. And Hermione hadn't known what to tell her to do either. He was still lost in whirl of understanding when he felt something bury itself in his side and wrap small arms around him. He shifted slightly, and pulled her onto his lap. He looked over her again, smiling as he ran a hand through her shiny hair, then traced her face. She smiled at him, then buried her face in his chest. He hugged her. He had a daughter. He had been a father for three years. It was amazing. 

"Potter!" 

  
  



	5. An Explanation or Two

  
  


Man oh man...I am so sorry everyone. I left the disk with this chapter in my computer at school, and then went home. So I couldn't finish it without what I'd already got written. I wrote an interlude piece to go with this story, to tide people over, and then couldn't upload it from the computer at home. So it had to go separately, which didn't work so well. So I am really, really, really, sorry about how late this is, and about how short this is. And I promise that the next bit will be out soon. 

  
  


Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except the plot. 

  
  
  
  


Chapter 5

  
  
  
  


He knew the shout would bring both of them running, and sure enough, a moment later two sets of footsteps thundered down the stairs, and the Potters skidded into the room. Hermione took in the sight of Draco Malfoy holding a small child in an instant and her eyes flashed an immediate understanding. 

"Anything you want to be telling me Hermione?" She looked at him, and sighed. 

"Alright. I suppose I can tell you now."

"What's going on?" Harry asked. "Who is that?"

"That's Ginny and Draco's daughter, Harry." 

"WHAT?"

"Just let me explain." 

  
  


****

  
  


"Herm? Can I talk to you?" 

"Well, of course you can Gin. You know you can always talk to me." 

"Well, really only when you visit nowadays." Hermione's face crinkled into a smile.

"Well, that's true. Come on, there's a nice tree we can sit under in peace" The two young women wandered over to a large oak tree and Hermione sat down in the grass. Ginny remained on her feet. 

"Well?" 

"Do I look different to you?" 

"Well you look a little tired." 

"I know that. Look at me from the side. Can you see it now?" Ginny turned and pulled her clothes tighter. Hermione gasped.

"Gin! You're-"

"Pregnant, yes. This is my problem."

"Is it Draco's?"

"Of course! That's not the problem."

"What is the problem?"

"I don't know what to do, Herm. I graduate in two months. But I can't work because the baby will be 5 months after that."

"Does he know?"

'No! I can't tell him. He'd go all overprotective on me."

"And this is a bad thing?"

"Yes...no...it's just that I don't know how he'd react. He's not the 'I love kids' type."

"He'd never hurt you, if that's what you're afraid of."

"NO! I know he'd never do anything like that. But if he's encumbered by a pregnant girlfriend..."

"What could possibly be wrong if you know he wouldn't hurt you."

"He'd give up everything he wants, just to care of me. I don't want that."

"Why not? I'd want to be taken care of."

"You're married. And Harry isn't anything like Draco. Draco needs to be Draco Malfoy before he can be someone's husband and father. And I need to be Ginny Weasley before I can be Ginny Malfoy." 

"So what can you do?"

"Not a lot, really. There isn't much call for pregnant teenage girls these days."

"Ginny..." 

"I just don't know what to do about it Hermione. I haven't told anyone else yet."

"Well Gin...I-" They were suddenly interrupted by Draco Malfoy appearing from behind a tree brandishing a camera.

Oh girls!" He called out. They waved warily at him, and he took a picture. He flashed them a grin, then left abruptly. They waited until he was out of earshot.

"I don't know what to tell you. Unfortunately I don't have any experience with this type of thing." 

"I'm glad I talked to you anyway. Makes me feel a little better." Ginny sighed.

"Well, when in doubt Gin, do what your heart tells you. Things'll turn out alright in the end." 

"I hope so. I really hope so."

  
  


****

  
  


"So you knew." 

"I knew. I didn't know what she was going to do, or where she went, but I promised to tell anyone anything, especially about the baby."

"I just don't understand. I thought she knew you enough to..." Harry started.

"She did know me. She was right. I wanted a Ministry position. Anything to make me Draco Malfoy, not just Lucius Malfoy's son. But she meant more to me than anything. If I had known three years ago, I would have dropped everything and taken care of her."

"But she didn't want you to do that. She wanted the Draco Malfoy that you were happy with. Not the one that you weren't." Hermione said.

"But didn't it backfire? I mean, you've devoted your entire career to finding her." Harry pointed out. 

"Not really. I'm available to anyone who wants to find someone they lost. I'm pretty successful at it. I look for her more or less in between cases. They say I'm the best detective the Ministry's got." Draco said.

"I can't believe you think her disappearance is a good thing. Look what you've missed!" Harry exclaimed, waving his arms at the sleeping girl on Draco's lap. 

"Maybe. But that's hardly the point. The point is, if we don't find out where they've taken her, she's going to die." Draco pointed out.

"I'll go and get a hold of Ron on the floo. He has to know, even if he doesn't want to." Hermione said.

"I'll get back to the files. There must be something there." Harry said.

"I'll join you in a minute. I'm going to take her to bed first." Draco said. They all left the living room in a hurry.

As he was carrying the as yet unnamed girl upstairs, she woke up from her doze. He noticed that she was examining his face from her vantage point on his shoulder. 

"You're my Daddy." She said.

"It seems so."

"Mummy showed me pictures." 

"So that's how you know." She nodded at him.

"Wanna know my name?"

"Yes."

"Silvannah. Mummy calls me Sylvie."

"What would you like me to call you?"

"Sylvie."

"Alright then, Sylvie. Do you know what happened to your mummy?" The girl shook her head. 

"Mummy magicked me to a pretty castle. Then a nice man gave me some candy and found the funny man who brought me here." So Ginny had sent their daughter to Dumbledore for safekeeping until she could be brought to him. It was a smart move. 

"When did you last see your mum?" 

"Mmm...." The girl thought hard, and then counted her fingers. "Four sleeps ago." 

Four days. Someone had seen her four days ago. 

"Where did you and mummy live?"

"In a 'partment." That meant a Muggle town somewhere. Silvanna started playing with his necklace.

"Mummy has a necklace like this."

"Does she?"

"Yup. It's pretty. But she never lets me wear it."

"I'm not surprised."

"Is it special?"

"Very special."

  
  


****

  
  


"This is pretty, Draco. Where'd you get it?" Ginny asked, playing with the serpent pendant.

"Some shop in Diagon Alley."

"How come? You don't seem the pretty necklace type."

"Well, when I bought it I just thought it was cool. Pretty wasn't really what I was thinking of." 

"It is pretty though. It glints in the right lights." 

"Do you want one?"

"Oh, I dunno. I'd probably want it if it wasn't so expensive looking."

"I'd give one to you."

"But I'd want to buy it myself. I don't need you to provide for me, it's not why I love you."

"It'd be a birthday present."

"Only if you want. Don't feel you need to."

"I want to."

"Then I'm not complaining."

  
  


Soon after Ginny's birthday that year, both the Gryffindor and the Slytherin could be seen proudly sporting identical serpent pendants. Hers on a chain, his on a leather strip. 

  
  


****

  
  


"Mummy never told me that story. She just said it was a present." Silvanna said as Draco settled her on his bed. 

"Well, it was. It was a gift from me, and it meant a lot to her. I thought I'd never understand why, but now I think I'm beginning to." He started tucking her in. "Now, you get some sleep. I'll get you in the morning."

"Okay." She turned over onto her side. Then, just as he was leaving the room, "Do you love mummy?" He looked at her, smiling slightly. 

"Yes. I do. Very much."

  
  



	6. And it all starts to make sense

Astray in Endeavor

  
  
  
  


Summary: Ginny Weasley disappeared within a week of graduating from Hogwarts, and Draco Malfoy swore that he would find her if it killed him. Now, three years and an anonymous tip off later, it just might do that. And if he's not careful, her too. In order to protect the world and the woman he fell in love with from a new and perhaps even more dangerous threat, he must swallow his pride and team up with his childhood nemesis before someone else disappears.

  
  


Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm a University student. I have no money. 

  
  


Notes: Alright, we have here the next installment of Astray in Endeavor. In a few chapters it will start winding down. I'm thinking maybe two or three more chapters is all I'm going to need. Then maybe an epilogue. Look out for the Interlude though, I'll be putting that up where it's supposed to be soon. Enjoy!

  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter 6

  
  


It was an odd sensation, he decided, tucking in one's child. He wondered vaguely if he would ever get that chance again. He wandered back downstairs again, and promptly discovered Potter in his den, rifling through pile after pile of paper. 

"What's all this, and how did it get here?" Draco asked, eyeing the piles suspiciously. 

"All research pertaining to the Rites of Balthazar. And anything that existed on those names you gave me. As to where it came from, Hermione has this bag that holds infinitesimally more than you might think." 

"I see."

"So far, all I've figured out is the fact the ritual needs twelve 'faithful's' to complete it properly."

"Well, that fits what we've got. Twelve Death Eaters. All of them haven't been seen in at least six months. They must have been gathering what they needed. Anything else?"

"They can't just use any altar. They need a specific one. 'The stone of blood' it says here. According to what Hermione's found, the only 'stone of blood' that would exist in this day and age is the Sacred Stone of Calmar. Which has last been seen in a small village on the outskirts of Surrey."

"Is it Muggle?"

"Pardon?"

"The village. Is it a Muggle village?"

"I think so. It's probably more of a town now, considering it was last reported in 1947."

"Then we have a probable location. From what Silvanna said, Ginny was living in a Muggle village before she was kidnapped. It's likely that they wouldn't try to take her far."

"Not necessarily though."

"Possibly, but think, what's easier? Plan up something that would require a lot of moving around, and transporting a hostage somewhere else, or finding something that can be done without having to move the hostage any farther than the street corner?"

"I suppose. These are Death Eater's without many brain cells."

"Exactly. So what else have we got that could possibly be of any use."

"Well, there's the intro to the Rite, of course, which Hermione is busy decoding right now, and trying to find a motive for all this."

"Which is fairly simple. Resurrect Voldemort, and create havoc."

"Precisely. But, why Ginny? I mean, all she did during the war was stay behind the scenes and heal people out of the trenches. She wasn't important enough to Voldemort. There is the revenge on you factor, but this seems a little extreme just to piss you off."

"Well, they are pissing you off too. And if you're the target for the resurrection, they'd need bait. But you are right. This seems a little off to be aimed at you and me. If they wanted you, they could have taken Hermione or Andrea at anytime....." Draco trailed off, thinking hard. "And they'd know, that despite our differences, I'd help you out, like you're doing now." All of a sudden Draco's eyes widened in a flash of inspiration. At the same time, Hermione rushed into the room, flailing papers at them.

"I've got it!!" She gasped. "It is the 'mind of the resurrected' after all, not the powers!" She paused for breath, and Harry waited patiently for her to finish. Only to have Draco finish for her. "It was Ginny they wanted the whole time." Hermione looked at him, astonished, but nodded at him anyway. 

"But, that doesn't make sense!" Harry cried.

"I don't think you understand, Potter."

"What don't I understand? Help me out here."

"They didn't take Ginny to get back at me. Remember our second year? The Chamber of Secrets?"

"Of course, how could I forget that?"

"Tom Riddle had her mind in the palm of his hand. So, a peice of his essence is imprinted on her brain. Maybe it's even subconscious. But they're going to resurrect him using her mind, possibly even her body." Hermione looked up, having caught her breath. 

"But what about Harry? He's got Voldemort's powers. Wouldn't they want him for this?"

"Not everything is about me you know, Hermione." Harry said, looking exasperated. 

"No, this time it is about you. All Voldemort wanted this time was to get back at you, because of what happened 21 years ago. He didn't get that chance. But if they use someone else to resurrect him, he can take another crack at you. If they had to, they'd take your wife, or even your baby to get you."

"What about you?"

"I'm just icing on the cake. We were thinking that Ginny was a target because of me, but of course, that's not wholly true. But they had to know, that if she was involved I'd come running."

"Holy."

"That's the price of love, Potter. We'll just have to get used to it." 

"If we stop them, we won't need to." Harry said vehemently. "So what are we going to do?" He asked. Draco sat for a moment, thinking. Hermione lowered herself into another chair. 

"We'd need to disrupt their ritual, obviously. That means, getting Ginny out of there, taking a couple of them out to start. Then even if the others get away there would be any immediate problems of spontaneous resurrection. You might have to destroy the stone too. It's hard to tell with stuff like this." She said. Draco just sat, staring into space for another moment. 

"Malfoy? Is there something else?" Harry asked. Draco looked directly at Hermione.

"You and the kids are going to go stay with Weasley until this is all over." He said decisively. The two Potters looked a bit affronted. 

"What?"

"Now see here, Malfoy-" 

"Do you want to risk death? At least with Weasley, you'll all be relatively safe, but hey, if you want endanger your life, and your baby's life, go ahead. However, I'm making sure my daughter is somewhere safe." He growled. Then he stood up and walked out the door. Hermione sighed, and looked at Harry. 

"You know, in patriarchal and pig-headed way, he's right."

"Hermione!"

"I'd distract you on the battlefield. I almost got you killed once, I won't do it again. If Malfoy hadn't been there when we were fighting Voldemort...."

"I know what could have happened. But it didn't, you have always been invaluable to me. I don't like shunting you aside just because you're my wife, and in the view of the world it could be dangerous." 

"I know that. And I appreciate it. But, this time I wouldn't be any good to you. Andrea needs me. And so does Silvanna. Ron may be great with kids, but Lav isn't really maternal yet, and the girls need someone motherly to look after them."

"But,"

"Harry, there's not a lot I can do right now anyway. I've already done what I'm good at, and I'm still recovering from giving birth. I can't leave Andrea alone, she's only a month old." Harry closed his eyes, and nodded reluctantly. 

"When we leave then, you'll take the kids to the Burrow." Hermione smiled an kissed his cheek. "I knew you'd see it my way. However, I think it be even safer if we went somewhere else. The Burrow is one of our more widely known hot spots." 

"Then get Ron on the floo. Even if he won't accept Ginny's disappearance, he has to accept that she is in danger, and that we need his help." Hermione nodded at him, and the pair headed into the living room for some floo powder. A few minutes later they heard Lavender's voice sound clearly in the room.

"Lavender and Ron Weasley." And her head appeared in the fireplace.

"Hi Lav. Look, can you get Ron on too? We need him, it's important." Hermione said, Lavender smiled and her head disappeared. But they could still hear her voice.

"RON! It's Harry and Hermione! Off your ass!" Harry suppressed a smile, those two were the oddest of their married friends. Soon enough, the pair of them were appeared in the fireplace.

"Hi guys. What's up?"

"Ron, we need a hand."

"Yeah. How can I help?"

"Ginny's in trouble. Malfoy and I need to go and help her, but there's a chance that Death Eaters may try to go after Hermione and Andrea. I need you to get her and the kids to somewhere safe."

"What do you mean Ginny's in trouble? Ginny's fine, she's just-"

"Ron, please. There's no time to play the ignorant older brother. You have to face what's happened. We need you at your best." Hermione begged. Ron frowned at her, but he acquiesced.

"Alright, if you say she's in trouble, then she's in trouble. What am I supposed to be doing about it?"

"In a few hours, I'm coming over, and I'm bringing Andrea and Silvanna with me. We need a place to hide out until it's all over." Hermione said. Lavender looked like she was pondering something.

"The Catton Caves cottage." She said suddenly. Harry and Hermione looked at her, and even Ron looked a little surprised. She continued.

"It's small, remote, and been in my family for years. No one ever goes there anymore. We'd only need a couple wards to make it completely impregnable." She finished.

"Sounds perfect." Harry said. 

"I'll apparate over and open it up." Lavender's head disappeared.

"Open the floo network for it too!" Ron yelled backwards. Then he turned back to them.

"Now. Tell me, what's my sister done this time? And who's Silvanna?" Harry sighed, and launched into the basic rundown of everything that had been happening in the last three days.

  
  
  
  


End Part 6

Stay Tuned for Part 7 

  
  



	7. Interlude

Summary: Ginny Weasley disappeared within a week of graduating from Hogwarts, and Draco Malfoy swore that he would find her if it killed him. Now, three years and an anonymous tip off later, it just might do that. And if he's not careful, her too. In order to protect the world and the woman he fell in love with from a new and perhaps even more dangerous threat, he must swallow his pride and team up with his childhood nemesis before someone else disappears.

  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm a University student. I have no money.

  
Note: This part was originally put up as a separate story, because of the reasons I've already explained in Chapter 5. However, I couldn't get it up with the rest of the story because of something stupid that my computer was doing. This bit is rather important to the story, so I'm putting it up where it's supposed to be. Or where it could go, at any rate.

  
  
Interlude: Part 1

  
Ginny had no idea how long she had been sitting in her prison. She did know that it had been at least one day, but without any light to judge by, it was impossible to tell any passing of time beyond that. She didn't even know how big her cell was, it was that dark. She sat, staring at what she assumed to be the opposite wall, wondering whether or not it was time to be sleeping, eating, or playing. The last option was out of course, given her situation, and since they never gave her food anyway, that only left sleeping. And she really didn't want to sleep. So she wondered instead. She wondered if Silvanna had arrived at Hogwarts safely, she wondered if Dumbledore had sent her to Draco. She wondered if Draco understood why she left in the first place. She wondered if she was going mad. Simple things really. At least remembering was something to do. As long as she had things to remember, she would be fine. 

****

"Where are we going?" She asked, as she ran down the lawn trying to keep up with him. 

"Somewhere else."

"I gathered that. Why are you taking me somewhere else with you?"

"I already explained that."

"Just because I'm the only one you find worthy of your time, doesn't mean that you can just drag me around on whim."

"Ah, but you know that you want to do something else anyway, does it matter if it's with me?" 

"No...I suppose not. But if you try anything funny, I swear..."

"You'll hex me into next week. I know, I've heard it all before." 

"So where is this glamorous 'somewhere else' that you seem so eager to get to?"

"Around."

"Well, that narrows the field a bit. Have you gone mad, Malfoy?"

"Not yet." He grinned at her wolfishly, and she wondered for a brief moment if she should have declined the invitation, but figured, what the heck, she had her wand. He still had a grip on her hand, and she was starting to get rather tired of trying to match his long strides. But she couldn't deny that the running felt good, even if she was following the bane of her brother's existence. A brisk October wind was brushing against her cheeks, and ruffling through her hair, and sunlight was glinting off the lake, making it a beautiful day. She laughed. Malfoy turned to look at her and he grinned again, looking very pleased with everything. A look she never would have guessed he could have. He looked carefree, and happy. Suddenly, she knew that there must be more to Draco Malfoy than met the eye. She was so busy studying him that she didn't notice they had run off a cliff face until they were on the way down. 

****

She smiled grimly, remembering that time in her existence. Life had been good then. She had discovered a new purpose, finding out what made Draco Malfoy tick. And it had been fun. The times that had followed had been some of the best that she ever had. Of course, none of those times were as vivid in her memory as the first time she ever had to trust him. 

****  


"MALFOY!!" She screamed as they fell. She couldn't believe this, she'd just done what every mother in the history of the world has recited to her children. 'If so and so were to jump off a cliff, would you do it too?' She could even hear the words in her mind. She distinctly heard him chuckle. 

"Open your eyes, Virginia. You never know what you might see." 

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you just dragged me off a cliff, and we are falling to our deaths. If I open my eyes, I'll see you laughing at me." 

"Why should I laugh at you?"

"Because, you probably have a way out of this, and leave me in mid air to die."

"Really, Virginia. Is that what you think of me? I'll have to work on that. I'm not going to leave you here to die."

"How do I know that you're telling me the truth."

"I never lie. Trust me." Ginny kept her eyes firmly shut. "Ginny....I swear on my life that I wouldn't do anything to you that I wouldn't feel safe doing." He pleaded with her. Maybe it was that pleading note that made her do it, or maybe it was something else, but she opened her eyes. He smiled at her. 

"There now. Was that so hard?" 

"Harder than you might think. Now what are we doing?" 

"Take a look for yourself." She looked around cautiously, and noticed that the only reason she thought she was still in mid air was because she had jumped on him when her feet initially left the ground. He was holding her up, while he stood on...

"What is that?" She asked, pointing at the board he was standing on.

"That? Oh nothing much. Just something I found out here one day. Come on." Then he put her down and led her off of the surface, and into a dense bush.

"Malfoy, where are we going? And if you say somewhere...."

"It's a secret." 

"A secret from who?"

"Everyone who doesn't understand."

"I'm not sure I understand." She said quietly. He stopped moving for a moment and studied her.

"You do. You don't know that you do, but you do." He told her. She raised an eyebrow at him. 

"Well I'm glad that one of us is so sure about that." 

****

All it had been was a small clearing that was practically impossible to see from anywhere. Just a little sheltered bit, that no body knew about, and nobody would find. Perfect for thinking. She had even told him that at the time. And he'd agreed with her. He was right of course. She did understand. She understood perfectly. She only hoped that he would understood her reasons the same way she understood his. Ginny drifted in and out of sleep for a while before another strain of thought took over. 

How she wished she could see him just once more. There were so many 'if only's' in her life. If only she'd told him, if only he'd found her, if only she'd returned a year ago, if only she'd talked to anyone else, if only this, if only that. It was a nightmare of thought that just wouldn't go away. And then there were the number of times that he could have found her, if it hadn't been for Blaise. It was a curious friendship that she had with the older girl, but worthwhile nonetheless. 

****

"Well, I must say I never thought I'd find a familiar face way out here." A voice stated from behind her. Ginny turned around quickly, startled. She was even more startled when she realised who it was that was standing behind her.

"Blaise Zabini? Is that you?" 

"Of course it's me. And it's Barbara now, if you don't mind."

"Barbara?"

"Yeah. I discovered that Blaise was a tad conspicuous. And, when you don't want to be found, being conspicuous is not something you want to be." The girl said with a shrug. She gestured to a table to her right. "Shall we sit?" Ginny sat, she was tired and could do with some rest. Blaise took the liberty of ordering the pair of them some drinks and then looked pointedly at Ginny.

"So, what could the great Virginia Weasley be running away from. So far that she ends up in a town considered backward, even by Muggle standards?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"I'm not great. And don't call me Virginia. I left that name behind."

"So what do you want to be called?"

"Just Ginny. That's what everyone calls me." 

"Alright. Ginny, why are you running away?"

"Why did you?"

"Reasons that you can't comprehend."

"Try me."

"You tell me first."

"Fine. I'm pregnant, and I'd rather not have everyone I love try and kill each other over it." 

Blaise blinked at her.

"You ran away because you're pregnant? What kind of reason is that? I thought babies were happy things." 

"Only when they're really planned for."

"It's Draco's right?"

"Yes."

"Hmm."

"Why did you leave?"

"I needed to be away from everything that had ruined my life. That included magic. And unfortunately, everything, everyone, that came with it."

"I see. I guess I can understand that. After all, you had one of the hardest times during the war." Ginny sipped her drink carefully.

"You knew what happened to me?" She asked, sharply. Ginny looked surprised for a moment.

"Of course. I thought most people did know. Didn't they?" Blaise shook her head vehemently. 

"No one. Except Dumbledore. He was the one I gave the information to, and he swore he wouldn't tell anyone else. So how do you know?" She questioned. Ginny looked a little frightened. She thought for a moment. 

"I don't know. I just do." 

"That's very odd. But, I guess it doesn't matter now, does it." 

"I suppose not."

"Back to you then, I don't understand why someone with all that you had would want to leave it. You had it so perfect, a loving family, good friends, a great boyfriend, a future... why should a mere baby change all that?" Blaise mused, almost to herself. Ginny pondered a moment on that. 

"I want my future to be with Draco. But I want him to make his own life before I force a baby on him. If my absence makes it easier for him to make his own name, then so be it." Blaise nodded 

"I suppose I can see why you would leave him. Temporarily at least. You are planning on going back at some point, right?"

"Eventually. After he's done what he wanted to do. I just need to keep people from finding me until I'm ready to go back."

"Well, there's a way. It'd keep most people from finding you. And it would work."

"What might that be?"

"Find a secret keeper. You'll be able to avoid people easier."

"Do you have a secret keeper?"

"Hell, no. The magic involved with secret keeping is immensely powerful. I gave up even the simplest forms of magic a year ago. Besides, anyone looking for me, has to be pretty intent on finding me. I don't like to get found." Blaise said, slugging down her drink. 

"I found you."

"Ah, but technically, I found you. And I bet you weren't even expecting to see me ever again." Ginny gazed at the girl sitting across from her, a calculating look on her face. 

"It's perfect then." She said. Blaise raised an eyebrow at her again. 

"I get the feeling that I'm not going to like this. What's perfect?"

"You could be my secret keeper. I can perform the spell on my own. No one would think of you as secret keeper to a measly Weasley." 

"No way. No magic. Ever again."

"Please Blaise. Draco will try his best to find me, and I don't want him to, until I'm ready. As you say, you don't like to be found, and even if someone was looking for you, they wouldn't connect you to me." Ginny pleaded. Blaise looked as if she was considering it.

"Are you sure you can perform the proper spells?" 

"Yes. You forget who you're talking too. When you're best friends and your boyfriend are leading a fight against the dark wizard who tried to kill you at one point, you tend to pick up a lot of powerful magic."

"Ah yes. There is that too." 

"So. Will you do it?"

"I'll do it. But, promise me that you will never come to me again. Don't get me wrong, I like you, but you are a witch and..."

"I know. Don't worry about it. You'll never see me again."

"And neither will anyone else. Unless something happens to me of course."

"Of course."

****

  
Ginny had kept her word. She never saw Blaise again. She vaguely wondered where the other woman might be at that moment. She chuckled slightly.

"Well, wherever she is, she's probably having a better time than I am." 

  


End of Interlude


	8. The time for talking is through

  
  


Astray in Endeavor

  
  
  
  


Summary: Ginny Weasley disappeared within a week of graduating from Hogwarts, and Draco Malfoy swore that he would find her if it killed him. Now, three years and an anonymous tip off later, it just might do that. And if he's not careful, her too. In order to protect the world and the woman he fell in love with from a new and perhaps even more dangerous threat, he must swallow his pride and team up with his childhood nemesis before someone else disappears.

  
  


Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm a University student. I have no money. 

  
  


Notes: I think this chapter is a little shorter than all the others, but that really doesn't matter much. Enjoy!

  
  
  
  


Chapter 7

  
  


He watched her sleep for a few minutes. He knew he would have to wake her soon, but for now, he could watch. It was quite amazing, the resemblance she bore to both of them. He wondered idly when it had happened. 

  
  


****

_"Gin? Are you alright? You seem a bit distant." She twisted around slightly in his arms to look in his eyes. _

_"I'm fine, Draco._ _Just nervous about NEWTS I guess."_

_"You'll be fine. Your brother passed, and you're smarter than he is." He said softly. She smiled at. He smiled back as he watched her features soften in the dim candlelight. Then she frowned. _

_"What?" _

_"This'll be the last time I see you until then." She said._

_"It's only a month away."_

_"I know. But then we'll both be wearing big, thick robes._" _She giggled_. _He grinned. Then she sobered. _

_"You know I love you."_

_"Yes. I do. And I love you even more." She smiled again, and snuggled into his chest._

_"Besides there's the rest of our lives to consider." He said, stroking her hair, gently. She nodded._

_"What do you think of children?" She asked out of the blue. He thought for a moment. _

_"I like them. Maybe someday I'd want some of my own." He said. "Why do you ask?" She snuggled deeper and sighed._

_"No reason. Just wondering. I want some too." She murmured before falling asleep._

_****_

  
  


It must have been before then. She wasn't showing then, so not much before that night. 

"Four months." Draco whirled around, Hermione was standing in the doorway watching the both of them. 

"What was that?"

"She was four months pregnant when she graduated. You looked like you were trying to contemplate that."

"Something along those lines. I was remembering a conversation about a month before that. She must known then."

"She did. She really hated leaving, you know that don't you?"

'Oh, I know. It had to be hard. But I understand why she did." He acknowledged. Hermione nodded. 

"We just got off the Floo with Ron. Whenever you and Harry are ready to go, I'll be ready to take the girls to his place.

"He know's the situation."

"The basic rundown, yes. He still maintains that she's not missing, but he's accepted that she's in trouble."

"Good. What are you going to do when you get to his place?"

"Lav's setting up a safehouse. I think Ron's getting Bill's help to put up wards too." She said. Draco nodded, then absentmindedly brushed a lock of hair from Silvanna's face. 

"I miss her." He said. 

"You'll get her back."

"We have a beautiful little girl. And I missed the first years of her life."

"You can make it up in time." 

"I know, but what if something happens to me, or to Ginny?"

"Have faith, Malfoy. It'll be fine."

"I wish I could believe that." 

"You have to. If you don't, then something will go wrong." Draco looked up at the woman that he used to taunt. He afforded her another smile.

"Thank you." She smiled back at him, then turned and left the room. He turned back to Silvanna and gently shook her awake. She smiled groggily at him.

"Daddy." She said. He smiled again. He decided that liked hearing that title. 

"Good morning sunshine." He said. She smiled at him again. 

"I saying Daddy." She said.

"I like hearing it." 

"Do you have to go and find Mummy now?" 

"Yes."

"Then we can be a family." 

"That's right." She sat up in her bed and held her arms out for a hug. He grinned and lifted her out of the bed. He twirled her around and she laughed gleefully. 

"What do I do while you get Mummy?" She asked.

"You are going with a very nice lady, and you're going to visit one of your many uncles. That's where you'll be safe." He told her. She nodded, but clung to him, a little nervous. He carried her out of the room and downstairs. He found Harry and Hermione standing in front of the fireplace, ready to go. Although Harry looked like he was going to have a heart attack, and Hermione was trying to avoid looking worried by fussing over the baby. Silvanna clung a little tighter.

"What's the matter?" He whispered to her. She looked up at him worriedly.

"I don't wanna go." She said.

"But you have to. It's the only way I'll know you're safe."

"I want my Mummy."

"And you shall have her. But if I'm going to get her, I need to know you're alright. Okay?" Silvanna blinked at him, then nodded. He let her down to the floor, and Hermione held out a hand to her. Casting another woeful look at Draco, Silvanna took her hand. Hermione smiled at Draco, gave Harry a kiss, then stepped into the fireplace. 

"Good luck, you two." She said. Draco nodded at her, and Harry blew her another kiss. 

"Ron Weasley's house!" She yelled, and then, in a flash of green, the three of them were gone. Harry stared at the fireplace for a moment, then pulled his shoulders back. 

"So what now?" He asked. Draco pulled on his cloak. 

"Now, we pay another quick visit to Blaise Zabini, and find out what else she knows." 

"How will that help?" 

"It will help because by now, she'll have more information than she did a day or two ago." 

And in a blink of an eye, they too had left the building. 

  
  


"Can I help you gents? Oh, you're the bloke who was here the other night." Draco turned around to see the same annoyed looking waitress that he'd spoken to before. She was looking at the two of them suspiciously, and draco wondered if perhaps she'd seen them apparate in front of the door. But that wasn't possible because it was so dark out. 

"Good evening. We're looking for Barbara Sabine again, it's very important." He told her, already looking around for Blaise. 

"Well, that'll be difficult won't it?" She said.

"Why's that?" Harry asked.

"Well, word has it, she threw herself off the bridge las' night." Draco stared at her. Blaise was dead? This was not good. 

"She killed herself?" Harry asked, quietly.

"I didn't say that. That's just the word." The waitress started examining her nails, and leaned in a bit closer to them. "She'd been actin kinda strange after you were here the other day. Like she knew somethin' was goin' to happen. Then las' night, there were these black figures all lurking around the bridge. And she goes over the bridge to get to her flat. I said to her, 'You sure you're gonna be okay, those guys don't look very friendly.' But she said that everything was alright. Next thing I know, they're tellin' me she's thrown herself off the bridge. But that don't make any sense. She was always stable. If you ask me, I'd say she was thrown off that bridge." The waitress stood up straight again. Harry looked very troubled, and draco was frowning. She had said she would face the danger herself. But she seemed to have lost. 

"'Ere. She left this for you. Said you'd probably be back." The waitress pulled out a piece of paper and gave it to Draco. Then she turned and walked away. Harry turned to Draco. 

"So now what?" Draco blew a strand of hair out of his eyes. How in the world did this guy manage to make it to the top job? 

"Now, we're going to find out what this says." He said, holding his disdain in. He unfolded the paper to reveal two words: TAP ME. He raised an eyebrow, but took it to a private booth and tapped it with his wand. He and Harry both sat down as it rose a couple inches in the air and refolded itself. It looked vaguely like a howler, but white. Then it spoke. 

"Hello, Malfoy. And hello Potter, if Malfoy actually brought you. I knew you'd be back, you never took orders very well. You'll have to forgive this thing if it stops halfway through a sentence, it is after all, the first spell I've performed in four years. I had to borrow someone else's wand to do it. If you're listening to this, it means that I'm probably dead. They'll tell you that I've killed myself, or some such bullshit. I was a liability to them, Malfoy, so they had to get rid of me. I knew it was coming. But this also means that you can finally get to Ginny. If you had any idea how many times you almost found her, you would be pretty annoyed. You see, I've been her secret keeper for three years now. Who would have thought, a Slytherin actually helping out a Gryffindor. You have to understand that all she wanted was to give you a chance to be your own person, before real life encroached on you. Now, you've probably already got this figured out, especially if you've got Granger working on this, but they've got her in a house outside of Surrey. You don't have a lot of time. You'll need to look out for nasty surprises, and be careful of silencing charms. They're going to do it on the 21st. It just happens to coincide with the date of Ostara in the old Wicca calendar. Malfoy, if this works, Voldemort will be back, as Ginny Weasley. Stronger and angrier than ever. You have to stop it, because if he gets loose again, the repercussions will be even worse than they were four years ago. And this time, we're missing a lot of people. Take care, Malfoy. Catch you on the flip side." 

And with that, Blaise's voice ceased. The paper scrunched itself into a ball, and lobbed itself into the nearby fireplace. 

"The voices of the dead...." Draco murmured. "Well, Potter? What do you think we should be doing now?"

"Malfoy, this is the 21st. I think we need to be getting to Surrey."

"I'm inclined to agree."

"So let's go then."

"Alright."

"Alright." Still staring at each other, the two men suddenly disappeared from the small pub booth. Neither of them heard the slight giggle that erupted from the fireplace when the ball of paper exploded into flame. 

  
  
  
  


End of Part 7

Stay tuned for Part 8 


	9. Action!

  
  


Astray in Endeavor

  
  
  
  


Summary: Ginny Weasley disappeared within a week of graduating from Hogwarts, and Draco Malfoy swore that he would find her if it killed him. Now, three years and an anonymous tip off later, it just might do that. And if he's not careful, her too. In order to protect the world and the woman he fell in love with from a new and perhaps even more dangerous threat, he must swallow his pride and team up with his childhood nemesis before someone else disappears.

  
  


Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm a University student. I have no money. 

  
  


Note: This chapter is a little gory. Just a little. There's no explicit murdering going on, but it gets a bit ugly. Sadly, I'm nearly done. Perhaps one long chapter, or two short ones left....

  
  


Chapter 8

  
  


If it had been dark in Manchester, it was positively black in Surrey. Draco wasn't sure whether it was due to the weather, or the obvious presence of Dark Magic in the air that was doing it. Perhaps it was a combination of both. They had apparated right on the outskirts of the town, and were currently attempting to locate the house that was reported to be where all the excitement was happening. 

"That way." Harry pointed to his left. 

"How do you know?"

"Easy. Locator charm. Used the one that Dumbledore taught us for locating focal points of Dark Magic."

"Clever thinking, Potter. Remind me to give you a cookie when we get out of this."

"No thanks, but I will remember that compliment." Harry retorted. Together, the pair of them made their way to the left, Draco following Harry, as it was his wand doing the locating.

It wasn't long before they reached a rather large and forbidding house. Harry snorted derisively.

"Boy, I didn't know they still made these. If it gets anymore stereotypical I swear I'll eat my robe."

"I'd pay to see that, Potter. But we are on a mission, if you remember." 

"Of course I remember. It's just that if they were going for something sinister, normal people would choose a location that wasn't so obvious." 

"You've got a point. But we're not here to be art critics. Lets go." Draco said, grabbing the other man's arm and pulling him inside the building. 

They had entered via one of the many back and/or hidden doors. And navigating the darkened house was a little difficult. Especially when light anything up would likely attract attention. 

"We're in the kitchen. Anything they'll want to try is either being done in the ballroom, or the basement." 

"Why those?"

"Basements are closer to the base of all the magic they're trying to use. However, in place like this, the basements are small and cramped. It's more likely that they'd keep her down there until they needed her. So, I'd say they're in the ballroom."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. There's nowhere else they could be."

"How do you know?"

"You know who my father was, Potter. Where do you think he held all of his meetings?"

"That's a good point. How do you know that this place has a ballroom?"

"If it didn't they'd make one. You said it yourself, it's the stereotypical evil house. All evil houses have a ballroom."

"Yours doesn't."

"Not anymore. I downsized." Draco ended the conversation by opening a door that led into a hallway. He listened to the house for a few seconds. 

"It's quiet." He said. Harry nodded in agreement. 

"A little too quiet." Harry added. Draco rolled his eyes. 

"Potter, if that's supposed to be funny, I'm not laughing." 

"It's not supposed to be funny."

"Good." 

They crept carefully forward, listening for anything unusual. 

"Remember what Blaise said about silencing charms." Harry murmured. "It's probably one of the things guarding the room they're in." He observed. Draco nodded, and took out his own wand, and whispered an incantation. The end of it lit up blue.

"There is a silencing charm in here. It's this way." They set off down a corridor. 

"Malfoy?"

"What?"

"What are you going to do when we get there." 

"I'm going to get my girlfriend back. And maybe make some Death eater hash."

"I meant..."

"I know what you meant. Look, I know enough Dark Magic to make your hair stand more on end than it already is. And I'm just mad enough that I could use it. If I were to tell you exactly what I might do, you would get in trouble for knowing about it. So you just worry about dispatching any Death Eaters that aren't lurking around Ginny." Harry stared hard at Draco for a moment, remembering a time when he would have happily beaten the other man up for any number of the things he had said in the past five minutes. Now, he couldn't think of what he would have done if things hadn't happened this way. His respect for Draco Malfoy had gone up a notch within the last few days. And he couldn't help but remember the last time that he had fought with him, right before their own separate battles. 

  
  


****

  
  


"Look, Malfoy, you still have a chance to get out of here. He doesn't really have anything against you yet. You can always save yourself by lying about Ginny, she'd understand, and so would we. And then at the very least, you could start a rebellion in a year or two." Harry said, rubbing his glasses clean of the mud that was laying everywhere. Malfoy looked at him, surprised.

"Are you completely daft? The only reason he hasn't killed me yet, is because my father wants to do that himself. That's why I'm still here. They know everything that goes on, Potter. No matter how well Dumbledore's concealed me so far, they know I'd never be one of them willingly." The blonde boy grinned suddenly. "Besides, without me you three would probably be flattened. No offence, but you really have no idea what Death Eater's are really capable of, and I've seen it all before." Harry was still giving him the same look that he was before, one that said he wasn't moving from his opinion one bit. Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"Harry, he's right. We need him. You can't make him leave any more than you could keep me away from here." Harry looked up at her, and smiled sadly. He shook his head slightly.

"Fine. But it's not my fault if you both get killed." At that moment, someone burst through the foliage to their left. It was Ginny.

"Ginny! What are you doing here?" Ron asked first." She heaved in a breath.

"Message from Dumbledore. They're coming this way. Not much time, and reinforcements are too far away to be here before them."

"How many?"

"All of them. Except Voldemort, Wormtail, Crabbe, Goyle and Lucius Malfoy." She said, still breathlessly. "He sent me because I could run the fastest. With luck, everyone else will get here before things get out of hand." Harry put his glasses back on and stood up. Hermione pulled out the spell disperser and Ron wiped off his wand. Malfoy stood up, and Harry watched him as he put an arm around Ginny's shoulders. She finally looked up, and smiled grimly.

"This is it. And it's just the five of us." She said, drawing her own wand. 

"For now." Malfoy said. Harry whispered something to the ever faithful Hedwig, and she, Pigwidgeon and Malfoy's owl, Zeus flew up into the trees, lying in wait. They knew what to do. A rustling was heard from in front of their temporary camp. Then it expanded to circle around them. 

"They're all around us." Hermione whispered. Harry nodded. 

"Five point position. Now!" He hissed. The five of them stood back to back, wands drawn and ready, without seeming like they were ready, when in actuality all someone had to do was drop a pin and hexes would be sent in all five directions. Harry reached out and squeezed Hermione's hand, at the same time Malfoy did the same with Ginny's hand. A split second later, Death Eaters swarmed out of the forest and attacked. Harry retaliated as best he could, hurling hexes and counter curses as fast as possible. Around him, he could dimly hear the others doing the same. He heard Hermione cry out as something hit her, but she kept firing, so it wasn't bad. Every Death Eater he saw, he shot a hex at, and every spell he saw he fired counter curses at. The spell disperser was doing it's job to a point, but anything that hit still left a physical impression. He staggered as an Avada Kedavra was dispersed into the air. That was close. And that's when he heard it. A voice inside his head, accompanied by the familiar burning of his scar.

"Come and get me, Potter. You know where." The burning made him fall to the ground. 

"HARRY!" Hermione screamed, and suddenly the remaining four were standing around him, forming a protective wall, still fighting off the bad guys. 

"Potter, are you alright?" Malfoy asked. 

"Just my friendly little scar reminding me that I have an appointment to keep." He growled, standing up. The Five point star reformed instantly. 

"Voldemort?" Hermione called.

"Yes. He wants me. Where the hell are everyone else?" As if in answer, the forest suddenly burst outward in a slew of spells and hexes. The cavalry was here. Within a moment, any remaining Death Eaters were strewn out on the ground, in body binds or the like, and Harry was tearing his way through the forest, the others right behind him. He frowned.

"Get out of here you lot. It won't do for you all to be killed." He called back at them. He heard Malfoy laugh behind him. 

"Well, I'm not going with you. I'm going after my father. I know where he's waiting for me. But, as for the rest you, I'd do what Potter here says." Then he heard Hermione laugh.

"Fat chance. We've been fighting Voldemort together for seven years. We'll be damned before we let you face him alone now. Right, Ron?" She said, huffing a bit, trying to run and talk at the same time. He heard Ron behind him now too.

"Right. We've been through too much together to back down now." Ron said. 

He shook his head. 

"I'll never get rid of you guys, will I?"

"Not on your life." Hermione said. He heard Malfoy laugh again. 

"God speed, Potter. And good luck to you two as well." He said, and then Harry saw him veering off elsewhere in the forest. Then she saw Ginny veer off with him. Hermione must have seen her too.

"Ginny!" She called. 

"She'll be alright. She can take care of herself." Ron said, but Harry could hear the uncertainty in his voice.

"And Malfoy will protect her." Harry said too them. He watched the pair disappear. 'God speed to you too Malfoy.' He thought.

  
  


****

  
  


"Potter? Are you in there?" Malfoy's voice brought him back to the present. 

"Oh. Yes. Right, sorry. I was just dwelling on ghosts." He said. "Take care of Death Eaters that aren't near Ginny. Got it." Malfoy looked at him oddly, but nodded. The shivered as they passed through something invisible. Suddenly their ears were assaulted by whispers. 

"We've passed through the charm wall." Draco observed. Harry nodded. 

"So now which way?"

A blood-curdling scream rang out through the air from somewhere ahead of them. They glanced at each other for half a second, then took off running down the corridor. It took a second scream to pinpoint the door they needed to burst through. They were not prepared for the sight that met them. 

Twelve black- cloaked figures were assembled in a circle, all peering up at a figure suspended in the air. They were swaying and chanting, almost like a cult. The figure up in the air was dressed in some ceremonial type robes of a gray colour. As wisp of red hair blew in a wind. It was Ginny. The twelve Death Eaters raised their arms collectively and sent another volley of pure magic up at her. She screamed again. Draco couldn't help but notice that the scene very closely resembled the one from his recurring nightmare. 

"They're forcing Riddle's mind to come out of hiding!" Harry hissed. 

"We have to stop them!" Draco hissed back. 

"Break the circle." Harry said, and then fired off an advanced body binding spell that he'd picked up in seventh year. It took out two of them. Draco took out another three with a well aimed body throwing spell. They crashed into a wall, and didn't move. Angered, the remaining seven turned to the intruders, and drew their wands. Snarling at them, Draco hissed out one of the spells he'd been taught as a child. Two of the Death Eaters screamed in agony, and thre back their hoods. They were clutching at their eyes, and Draco watched in perverse satisfaction as their eyeballs exploded in their hands. Harry wrinkled his nose. 

"Ew. Did you have to do that?"

"Sorry. But no one messes with my girl." Draco growled. He looked up to where Ginny was floating, and to his horror discovered that she seemed to be falling rather rapidly. He must have gotten the one who'd put her up there. He dashed out toward where she was falling, punching one of the remaining Death Eaters in the stomach as he went. He left Potter to deal with the rest of them for a moment.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" He shouted, and Ginny stopped falling. "Accio Ginny." He said. And she gently floated to his arms. 

"Malfoy! A hand please!" Potter yelled. He looked up for moment, and noticed that Potter had gotten one of the other four, but the remaining three weren't letting up on him. 

"Expelliarmus!" He shouted, and their wands flew at him. That left Potter to deal with them with greater ease. 

"Petrificus Totalis." He muttered, grinning at them. And they dropped. Draco smiled in satisfaction, and then turned his attention to Ginny. The last volley had knocked her unconscious, and she was cold. There were a few minor bruises that he could see, likely from where she'd been tugged along at some point. But she was breathing normally. And she was there! That was the thing he could hardly believe. After three long years of endless searching and a string of incompetent office assistants, he was actually holding her. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face, and stared at it for a moment. She hadn't changed much. Harry ran up to them. 

"Is she okay?"

"I think so. We should get her to a hospital, though. Just to make sure."

"I'll take care of this mess, if you want to take her." Harry offered. Draco looked up at him, and he smiled directly at him for the first time in many years. 

"Thanks, Potter." He said, standing up with Ginny in his arms. Harry smiled.

"Anytime, Malfoy." Draco turned, and headed for the nearest fireplace. He quickly attached it to the floo network, and stepped inside. There was only place he trusted enough to take her to."

"Hogwarts Hospital Wing." He said. A whoosh of green flame and he was gone. Harry went over to the fireplace as well, throwing a handful of grey dust inside it, he said, 

"This is Potter. I need a clean up crew at a house in Surrey. Twelve Death Eaters caught in the act." It crackled a bit, but then a the voice of a dispatcher came through. 

"Acknowledged." 

  
  


End of Part 8

Stay Tuned for Part 9


	10. Recovery

Astray in Endeavor

  
  
  
  


Summary: Ginny Weasley disappeared within a week of graduating from Hogwarts, and Draco Malfoy swore that he would find her if it killed him. Now, three years and an anonymous tip off later, it just might do that. And if he's not careful, her too. In order to protect the world and the woman he fell in love with from a new and perhaps even more dangerous threat, he must swallow his pride and team up with his childhood nemesis before someone else disappears.

  
  


Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm a University student. I have no money. 

  
  


Note: This is nearly the last Chapter. I'll probably wrap it all up in one more chapter, then throw in an Epilogue for good measure. Enjoy!

  
  
  
  


Chapter 9

  
  


Draco coughed soot out of his lungs as he landed on the hard floor of the emergency floo in the Medical wing of their old school. It obviously hadn't been used in a long time. The first thing he saw when his eyes cleared was Madame Pomfrey fluttering at him.

"Mr. Malfoy! This is highly inappropriate. The floo system is not to be used lightly! The claxon nearly gave all my patients a heart attack!" She yelled at him angrily, bearing down on him, much like she had while he was in school. She pulled up short, when she saw Ginny. 

"Good lord, what's happened?" She said, removing the young woman from his arms and swiftly getting her into a bed. 

"She was attacked, kidnaped and imprisoned by Death Eaters." The woman sucked in a breath. 

"Oh dear. I'll start looking for anything out of the ordinary." She ran off to fetch her Dark Magic kit. The thing had gotten many uses during the war. She returned quickly and went about her business, swiftly dismissing him as under her feet, and getting him out of the way by sending him to fetch Dumbledore. So that's what he did. He found the elderly gentleman roaming the hallways, rather distractedly. 

"Professor Dumbledore!" He called out. He turned around, and his eyes glinted.

"Hello, Mr. Malfoy. I take it that you have been successful?" He said. Draco thought for a moment, and then remembered that the man always seemed to know everything. 

"Yes. We've found her, Madame Pomfrey is checking her over right now. She sent me to get you."

"Indeed. Well, lets go then." The Professor turned back the way that Draco had come, and set off for the Hospital Wing, Draco on his heels It felt odd to be following the headmaster after being out of school for a couple years, but familiar and reassuring. 

Though it had only been a few moments since he had left Ginny with Madame Pomfrey, by the time the pair of men had gotten to the Hospital Wing, she had finished her examination, and was tucking Ginny further into her bed, having changed her into a hospital gown. 

"Hello, Headmaster. I didn't think you'd be far away." She said, putting away her tools. 

"Is she alright?" Draco asked.

"Oh, I dare say she'll be just fine Mr. Malfoy. There is no lingering effects of any sort of spells. What she needs now is some rest." Mme. Pomfrey told him, smiling. Then Draco thought of something else.

"Is there any way to make sure that she's still Ginny Weasley?"

"I beg your pardon?" The nurse looked astonished. 

"She may not be herself." He said, the woman looked at him, confused. 

"I think what Mr. Malfoy is trying to say is that there's a possibility that Tom Riddle's mind may have gained control over her body. He wants to make sure that this is not the case." Dumbledore clarified. Mme. Pomfrey nodded.

"Ah. I've already checked for anything like that. I had to wake her up to do it, but it's definitely Ginny Weasley in there. Now, out! Both of you. She needs undisturbed rest." The nurse shooed them out of her way, out the door, into the hall before shutting the door. 

"Well Mr. Malfoy. I think you have a few people to get in touch with, don't you?" In a flash Draco remembered the several people he told he would get in contact with first when he found her. Top of the list was her mother, and a close second was Lavender and Ron. Followed by the rest of the Weasley family, and then Colin Creevey. He also needed to get his daughter back from Hermione. 

"Yes, sir. I wonder if I could borrow your fireplace?" 

"Go ahead." 

  
  


Several hours later, Mrs. Weasley had promised that she would come to the school in the morning, so as to give Ginny time to recover, the rest of the Weasleys had barreled through, one by one, just to see their sister with their own eyes. Creevey had been annoyed about being woken up in the middle of the night again, and threatened to hex him, before retracting that statement when Draco said that he'd got her. He also promised to stop by in the morning. With Longbottom in tow. Harry turned up in Dumbledore's office at around eleven, complete with a stack of paperwork for them to fill out, and a Witness officer to take their statements. It was midnight before Draco realized that the man hadn't said a word about the curse he'd used on the two Death Eaters. 

"Potter."

"Yeah?" Harry looked up from his pile of papers.

"That Ministry guy. He didn't say anything about that Dark Magic." 

"Well that's because I didn't tell them it was you." Harry said, turning back to a jailing order. Draco stared at him.

"You what?"

"I told the Ministry, in my report, that one of us reflected one of the curses they sent, back at them. I said I couldn't be sure which one of us it was, it got so confusing."

"You covered for me." Draco stated. Harry thought for a moment.

"Yeah, I guess I did." 

"Why?"

"Because it wasn't a big deal. They were the bad guys, and Ginny was trouble, you can't responsible for your actions in that area. And because to see Ginny again is worth fibbing a bit on one report." 

"I guess that means I have to say the same in my report."

"Yup. Can't have an incongruity."

"Thanks, Potter."

"Anytime, Malfoy." 

  
  


At twelve-thirty, they were finally finished with the paper work that needed to be done, consumed many cups of coffee, and were heading back to the Hospital Wing. Draco had filled out his report to the letter, making sure to put in the bit about the Dark Magic. He was exhausted, but he wanted to get back to Ginny before he fell asleep. Harry also seemed to be dragging his feet. It wasn't surprising, considering what they'd been up to the last few hours. Upon arriving at the Hospital Wing, they found Hermione, and Ron around Ginny's bed. Ron was sitting in the chair next to it, and Hermione was standing next to him with her hand on his shoulder, her other arm occupied with holding a sleeping Andrea. She looked at them when they came in, and squeezed Ron's shoulder before walking over to them. Ron looked devastated. Harry took Andrea from Hermione, and then kissed her cheek, wrapping his other arm around her waist. 

"What's with him?" He asked, nodding at Ron. Hermione sighed.

"We just spent the last few hours convincing him that she really did go missing, that she really did have a baby, and that she was in real danger. He couldn't refute what we said, since Silvanna was physical proof of what had happened. And then it just all sort of cascaded down on him. Before we got Harry's owl, he was going crazy. We've been here a couple hours, and he hasn't moved."

"Poor guy." Harry said. 

"Where's Silvanna?" Draco asked. 

"Lav took her to the bathroom. The poor kid was a little restless too. She won't sleep until she sees you, Malfoy. I think she wants to make sure that you really are still here." Hermione said. At that moment, the door opened, someone squealed.

"Daddy!" Draco turned around just in time to catch the little girl as she threw herself at him. 

"Hi tiger." He said to her, she grinned at him, and hugged him. "Have you been good?"

She nodded, and buried her face in his shoulder and sighed. Hermione was smiling at them. Draco chuckled. 

"What?" He asked. She shook her head. 

"Oh nothing. Nothing at all." Lavender came over to join them.

"She was fine. A little excitable, but the manners of royalty. Kid like that makes me want to have one now." She said. Hermione laughed, obviously trying to picture the same thing that Draco and Harry were. The war had changed Lavender Brown just as much as it had everyone else. She'd grown up that year, and outgrew all of her old mannerisms. Instead she'd become something of a tom-boy, and she'd even started playing Quidditch with Ron while they were only just going out. She was almost as good as Ginny had been. Now she was the manager of the Furies, after sustaining an injury while playing with them the first year she was out of school. Picturing her having a baby was a little amusing. Lavender frowned at them, but grinned again a moment later.

"Yeah, I can see why you'd find that funny. However, I need to be getting my husband home and into bed before Madame Pomfrey needs to put up another Weasley for the night." She said, ruefully, before wandering over to Ron and kissing his cheek. 

"Come on then, Ron. Ginny needs her rest. And so do you, she'll still be here in the morning." She told him, shaking him gently. He looked up at her, and nodded dumbly. He followed her to the door, she opened it and ushered him out. She turned back to them before she left.

"I'll bring him back tomorrow. Then at least she might be awake." She said, then left, closing the door. Hermione turned to Draco, but addressed both of them.

"We should get home too. Andrea needs to go to bed, and to tell the truth so do I. And I can tell you do too, Harry. We'll be back tomorrow too." She said. Harry nodded in agreement. 

"I think everyone will be back tomorrow. See you." Draco said, and he turned to Ginny's bed as the Potter's left the room too. He took Silvanna with him to the chair that Ron had recently vacated. He sat down with her, noticing that she'd fallen asleep on his shoulder. He smiled, then turned his attention to Ginny. She was sleeping. This close, he could tell that it was not a peaceful sleep, but at least it was a natural one. He took her hand, and traced the contours that he knew so well. Wondering just how he'd managed to get through 3 years without her. She twitched in her sleep and Draco locked his eyes on her face. She didn't wake up, but she did move a little closer to him. He closed his eyes briefly, remembering the last time he had sat with her like this. Not surprisingly, she was there because of the same thing, Death Eaters. The only difference was that the last time, it was only one who'd put her there.

  
  


****

  
  


Draco knew exactly where his father was going to be waiting for him. And seeing as Ginny said that Crabbe and Goyle weren't part of the major assault, at least one of them was probably with him. It wasn't long before he reached a small clearing. He drew up short, not quite sure which way he was heading. 

"If it isn't Malfoy." A voice said to his right. He turned, wand at the ready, and stood face to face with Goyle.

"Where is he?"

"Where is who?"

"Who do you think, you lumbering idiot. My father and his assorted cronies." Draco growled. 

"I'm not going to tell you." Draco grabbed the other boy's collar.

"If you don't, I'll kill you now." He hissed. Fear flashed in Goyle's eyes. Despite being an inch or two taller, and at least a hundred pounds heavier, there would always be that element of the dangerous about Draco that would terrify him. He pointed into the forest, managing to look smug, but afraid at the same time. Draco released him, and went into the forest, in the direction he had pointed. 

It wasn't long before he reached a second clearing. This one holding what he was looking for, and of course, a black cloaked figure. 

"Father."

"Good evening Draco." 

"I don't see anything good about it." Lucius Malfoy turned around. 

"No, I don't suppose you do." 

"Shall we have it out now, then. Or are you waiting for your puppeteer to pull your strings?" Draco hissed. Lucius frowned at him, but then he smiled knowingly. Draco frowned, then gasped when someone grabbed him from behind. 

"Ah, ah, ah. You forgot to watch your back." Crabbe laughed in his ear. 

"You always did fight dirty." Draco said, to the pair of them. 

"There now, that makes life easier for me." Lucius said. He raised his wand, but just before he was about to fire an attack on him, Goyle lumbered into the clearing, dragging a violently struggling Ginny with him. He had her wand, but she was giving him a run for his money. 

"Here, look what I found. An itty bitty Gryffindor, wandering the forest all alone." Goyle laughed. 

"Ah, this makes things much more amusing. You really should have left her alone you know." Lucius sneered. 

"Really, a Weasley? What were you thinking?" Crabbe laughed. In a split second Lucius turned his wand on Ginny and fired off a curse.

"Crucio!" It hit her, and Ginny screamed, convulsing in pain. Goyle let go of her, and she fell to the ground. At the same time, Draco growled and pulled against Crabbe, trying to get him to loosen his hold. Lucius hit her with another Crucatious curse before she fell unconscious. 

"Well, at least we won't have to worry about her anymore. I might as well dispose of her along with you." Lucius leveled his wand at her again, and Draco felt cold fury fill him. Driving both his elbows back, he felt Crabbe double up, he stepped on the other boy's feet, and then elbowed him again, harder. Crabbe's hold finally loosened, and Draco sprung away. His wand was in his hand in a second. He aimed swiftly at his father.

  
  


"Avada Kedavra!" He screamed. His father crumpled, and he turned to Goyle. The boy gulped, and apparated away. 

"Coward." He hissed at the empty space. Then he turned to Crabbe. He was recovering from Draco's attack, and pulling out his own wand. Draco beat him to it.

"Stupefy!" Crabbe fell. For the first time in the last 20 minutes, Draco breathed easily. He rushed over to Ginny and checked her. She was going to be fine. But for the moment, he was needed elsewhere, Goyle was probably with Voldemort now, and Potter and company wouldn't be expecting him. In a flash, Draco followed Goyle into battle.

  
  


****

  
  


He'd gotten to Potter just before Goyle took him out with the Killing curse. But he'd beat the lumbering idiot to it. Potter had heard, and acknowledged it with a single glance, and then they both went back to what they had been doing. He looked back at the sleeping Ginny. No, she hadn't changed a whole lot. Her face had slimmed a bit since he'd last seen her, but that had probably been the weight she'd been gaining with Silvanna. She'd also let her hair grow long. At the end of her seventh year, it had just been hitting her shoulders, curly and full. Now, while it was still curly, it had to be hitting her waist. He picked up a strand of her hair and twirled it around his finger. It was still as soft as used to be. Silvanna had inherited her hair type from her mother, that was for sure. Hers, though a strawberry blonde, was just as soft and curly. Although, the shine she must have gotten from him. He took Ginny's hand again, and closed his eyes for a moment, he was exhausted.

  
  


When he woke up, the first thing he was conscious of was Silvanna, still sleeping, but in a slightly different position, nestled against his chest, instead of his shoulder. In his sleep, his own head had rested on hers. The second thing was Ginny's hand, squeezing his. He opened his eyes, and blearily tried to focus in the morning light. 

"I don't think I've ever seen anything more beautiful in my life." A soft voice said. He finally focused on her face, to find her eyes open, and gazing at them. She was smiling. He woke up completely and stared at her. 

"What?" He said, dumbly.

"You and Sylvie. No one can doubt she's yours when you two are side by side." She said. How long had it been since he'd heard her voice? Three years, seemed a lot longer all of a sudden. He quirked a smile.

"Funny, I was thinking she looked more like you." She smiled wider, but then her face fell a little.

"Are you very angry at me, Draco?" She asked. He must have died and gone to heaven. Hearing her say his name was like absolute bliss. He squeezed her hand a little harder, then brought it to his lips, kissing each one of her knuckles. 

"No. I'm not angry with you at all." 

"At all? Not even a little bit?"

"No. Why should I be angry?"

"Well, for starters, there's not telling you about Sylvie. Then there's the running away factor. And then there's using Blaise as a secret keeper, to keep you from finding me. And if that wasn't enough, getting in trouble so that you had to come and rescue me. Again." 

"But I understand why you didn't say anything. I also understand why you left. I don't care that you used Blaise as a secret keeper, because I've got you back now. And, getting in trouble is not your fault. It's the Death Eaters fault. And in a strange and messed up way, it's Voldemort's fault. So there's really nothing for me to be angry about."

"I would have come back soon anyway, with or without this problem with the Death Eaters. You know that, right?" She sighed.

"I know that now, yes." He answered, moving to explore the palm of her hand. She giggled when he reached her wrist. "Do you know how much I wanted to hear you do that again?" 

"Do what?"

"Laugh. I've missed your laughter, Ginny. I've missed everything about you." 

"I've missed you too." She sat up in bed, and reached with her other hand to caress his face. "Lord, how I've missed you too." They were just leaning in toward each other, when Madame Pomfrey came into the room.

"Oh, good. You're awake, dear. There are quite a number of people waiting to see you. How are you feeling?" Ginny drew back from him a little, and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm feeling okay, actually. A little tired, but considering what's happened, that's not surprising. A number of people, you say? My, my, how did they know I was here?" She squinted her eyes speculatively at Draco. He smiled at her, another one of her expressions that he'd missed.

"Well, I promised a lot of people that they'd be the first to know when I found you. Couldn't let them down." He said innocently. She smacked his arm playfully. 

"Alright. Go find someplace for her to sleep without being bothered, and then I will see all these people." She said, indicating the still sleeping Silvanna. 

"You can put her in my office. It's quieter there." The nurse offered. Draco smiled a thanks, and then gently lifted himself off the chair. He was quite stiff, but he made it to the bed in Madame Pomfrey's office, and laid her down. He smoothed her hair as he tucked her in. Then he went back out into the wing, stretching as he went. When he was back with Ginny, she nodded to Madame Pomfrey, who opened the door. 

Instantly, a swarm of people came through, led by Mrs. Weasley, who rushed straight up to the bed and grabbed Ginny up in the biggest bear hug imaginable. 

"Oof. Hi, mum." Her mother smiled, and continued to smother her with kisses. 

"Hey, come on, mum, let someone else have a go." One of the twins, must be Fred because Angelina was next to him, said. Mrs. Weasley blushed and smiled, but gave Ginny another hug, before getting up and letting the next Weasley in line jump on her. By the time all the brothers, and their respective wives had all hugged her, they moved on to friends. Colin grinned at her as he hugged her.

"Welcome back, Gin."

"Thanks, Colin." He stood up and gazed at Draco, and stuck a hand out.

"We're even now, Malfoy. Thanks, and take care of her." Draco took his hand and shook it firmly. 

"See you around, Creevey." 

After everyone had gotten their 'Ginny' hugs, she sat and looked around at all the welcoming faces.

"There's just one question I have before you all start throwing ones at me. Where's Ron?" She asked. Hermione looked sad, and handed Andrea to Harry before going over to sit on the bed with her.

"Lav sent me an owl today. After she took him home last night, he took off. We don't know where he is. He was really shaken." She said, patting Ginny's hand. Her face fell. 

"Oh." Draco came up to sit beside her as Hermione moved away.

"He'll turn up. For now, you have some explaining to do."

  
  
  
  


End of Part 9

Stay Tuned for Part 10


	11. Reconciliation

  
  


Astray in Endeavor

  
  
  
  


Summary: Ginny Weasley disappeared within a week of graduating from Hogwarts, and Draco Malfoy swore that he would find her if it killed him. Now, three years and an anonymous tip off later, it just might do that. And if he's not careful, her too. In order to protect the world and the woman he fell in love with from a new and perhaps even more dangerous threat, he must swallow his pride and team up with his childhood nemesis before someone else disappears.

  
  


Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm a University student. I have no money. 

  
  
  
  


Chapter 10 

  
  


It was several hours later before Draco got Ginny to himself again. The Weasley's had been furious that she had run away instead of telling them about the baby, and letting them help. They had also been annoyed that she hadn't even written, not even when she knew she was going to be in trouble. But, at the end of it all, they were very glad she was back, and Mrs. Weasley was torn between admonishing her daughter about responsible behaviour, and taking Silvanna out to spoil her. All of their friends had been more understanding, and also glad of her return to their world, and everyone had taken a peek at the newest Weasley before leaving. They all thought she was adorable. 

Draco had been discussing something with Harry for a moment, but then he'd gone back home, so he went back into the Hospital wing. She had lain back down on her bed, and closed her eyes. He watched her for a moment. 

"What are you looking at?" She asked.

"Something beautiful." 

"Oh really."

"Really." 

She opened her eyes and looked at him.

"So am I." 

He smiled, and went to sit down at her bedside again. Her eyes followed his every movement, and she continued to stare at him after he sat. 

"Blaise is dead. Isn't she?" She asked. Draco looked at his hands, and nodded.

"Yes. She is. She was a liability to the Death Eaters, so they took her out. She was expecting it." He said. She closed her eyes, and sighed. 

"Another name to add to the casualty list. How did she die?"

"It's been theorized that she was thrown off a bridge." 

"Horrible way to die. But at least she's free now." Draco frowned a little.

"Did you know about her...ability?"

"Yes. Before you did actually. I knew during the war. I never knew why though, until now." 

"How did you know?"

"Well, the same connection that exists between the Death Eaters, existed between them and Voldemort as well. Because his mind had become a part of mine, I subconsciously knew what he knew." Draco stared at her, realizing the complexity of what she was talking about. 

"That means that you would have had the same ability that Blaise had, wouldn't you?"

"Not necessarily. Voldemort's mind was stronger than the Death Eaters. He could control what I knew. But Blaise was part of the throng of Death Eaters, who had no control over what information was passed." 

"Voldemort must have known that he was doomed to fail, even before he started, then. So why do it?" Ginny smiled wanly, and reached out for his hand. He took hers in both of his. 

"Because he was insane. And there was always the trump card. Take over my body, that takes me out of the picture. Kill Blaise, and that takes care of her. It means two less fighters, not to mention all the people we lost in the first battle. Four years wouldn't be enough time to amass a big enough of an army, you know. The Wizarding world would have been doomed."

"So, we've just averted doomsday." He said. She grinned widely.

"Yeah. You did. Be proud." 

"But I'm not proud. All I wanted was to have you back. I even resorted to Dark Magic to get to you. I'm not proud of that. Blaise is dead because I wanted you back. My motives for saving the world a second time were completely selfish." 

"So? You're a human being, Draco. We're all prone to being selfish. Some people just never admit it."

"Potter isn't."

"Harry is different. He was handed a whole life on a silver platter, and didn't know how to deal with it. In some odd way, saving us all was a way of thanking us for saving him."

"So, Potter will always be the exception to the rule."

"No, you're an exception too. I mean, look at who you used to be. And look at who you are now. You're not the same person that got on the train to Hogwarts as an eleven year old. And neither am I." Draco raised an eyebrow at her. 

"You have got a point. I am not who I used to be. And I should think that the little person sleeping in Madame Pomfrey's office is proof that you aren't the same person you used to be." He said. She smiled at him again, but then her eyes got sad.

"I am so sorry I didn't tell you about her. I felt so guilty leaving without saying goodbye, and I used to talk to your picture I got so lonely." She started to cry a little, and Draco made her scoot over in the bed, so he could wrap his arms around.

"Ssh...It's alright. I already told you that I understood why you did what you did."

"But that doesn't make it right."

"Maybe not, but it's all past now. And someone wise told me that you can make it up in time. Trust me, Ginny. In a few years, we can look back at all this and say 'That was the exciting point of our lives.' And we'll wish that something out of the ordinary would happen. Not, that I'm suggesting that you run off the next time you're pregnant." He said, rubbing her back. He heard her giggle.

"Are you saying that there will be a next time?" She said. He looked down at her.

"Damn right. I missed Sylvie's infancy. I refuse to let her be the only child we have." He said, smiling. She grinned at him, then reached up to pull his head down to hers. As soon as their lips touched, for the first time in three years, it was like touching heaven. It only grew more passionate as it continued. When they finally broke off for air, both of them were breathing heavily. He sighed as he leaned he head back against the headboard of the bed. 

"You have no idea how badly I've wanted to do that again." He said. She snuggled into his chest.

"Oh, I rather think I do." She said. They were interrupted in their reverie by a slight giggle coming from across the room. They looked to see Silvanna grinning at them. 

"Hey sweetie!" Ginny cried. "Come give Mummy a hug!" Silvanna charged across the room and jumped up onto the bed, attaching herself to Ginny, and hugging the daylights out of her. 

"Hi, Mummy."

"Hi, baby. Did you miss me?" Ginny asked. She nodded at her. 

"Uh huh. But Daddy missed you more." 

"I'm sure he did." 

"Are we a family now?" Draco and Ginny smiled.

"Yes, sweetie. We're a family now."

"Goodie." Silvanna said, as she settled on both of their laps, and proceeded to tell them what had happened while she was at Uncle Ron's.

  
  


Draco was standing on the other side of the room when he came in. He and Silvanna had been waiting for Ginny to change and make her bed, before they headed to Malfoy Manor for a celebration party, that Harry and Hermione were throwing. Ginny of course didn't know this. 

It had been three days since Draco had rescued her from the Death Eaters, and Madame Pomfrey had finally agreed that she was had a clean bill of health. She had just pulled the curtains back from around her section of the room, and was making the bed. 

Ron came in, looked around sheepishly and then let his gaze settle on Ginny. Draco saw him smile. Ron took a deep breath, and walked over to Ginny. She hadn't seen him enter yet. Draco watched as Ron tapped her on the shoulder, and saw how she jumped a little at the sudden contact. Her face went from angered to unbelieving when she saw who it was. Though Draco couldn't hear what was being said, he understood the gist of it from their actions. Ron looked apologetic, and sad. He was probably disappointed that she hadn't said anything to him, because despite their fights over who she should be allowed to date, he was still the brother that she had been closest to. Ginny looked sad too, and then her face started tearing up and she held out her arms to him. He stepped into her embrace and they stood there, hugging like that for a few minutes. When they broke apart, he wiped her face and said something that made her laugh. She hugged him again, and then went into the bathroom. Ron stood a moment, then looked over at Draco. He held his head up higher, and then approached them. 

"Malfoy." He said.

"Weasley." Draco answered evenly. 

"You realize that this means we go back to what we were before." 

"Really. Good, because being chummy with you was something I never wanted to be." Ron cracked a smile. 

"I'll never understand why I was doing that anyway." 

"I agreed with Potter once, that he and I would never be friends. It's true for you and I as well. We're never going to be friends, we aren't enemies, but there's just too much between us to be friends." 

"Oddly enough, I agree with you. But, you did bring my sister back to us. That means that I have some level of respect for you. I know Harry respects you, but it's for different reasons. We're all our own men, Malfoy. And you've proved that you're better than we thought you were. So, if there's anything you ever need..." He took a deep breath, "You can count on me." 

Draco raised an eyebrow when Ron held out his hand to him. Draco looked him in the eye for a moment, then took it with the hand that wasn't holding onto Silvanna's. They shook once, and Ron let go.

"Thanks for saving her again, Malfoy. See you at the party." Then he left the room. Draco stared after him, in awe over the transformation. Just a week ago, Ron had stoutly believed that there was nothing wrong with the world. But, now he seemed to have grown up. A hand on his arm brought him back to reality. Ginny was standing there, looking up at him through curious brown eyes. 

"What was that about, Draco?" He smiled slightly at her.

"A truce. A truce to neutrality." 

"I'll have to ask you what that means at some other time. Right now, I want to go home." 

"But your home isn't mine." She stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. 

"Sure it is. Home is where the heart is, and my heart's always been with you." 

He grinned at her, and kissed her again. Then he scooped Silvanna up, and took one of Ginny's hands. Together they walked out of the Hospital Wing, out of Hogwarts, and metaphorically into the sunset.

  
  
  
  


In a perfect Movie setting, large pretty script letters would scrawl across the screen proclaiming...

THE END 

But of course, there is still the Epilogue to come....


	12. Epilogue

Epilogue

  
  


Draco sat in his favourite chair, and stared into the fireplace. Or, more specifically, he was staring at the mantlepiece above the fireplace. Where it had once held nothing but a set of candles, it was now covered in pictures, and little knicknacks. Some of these were little things that his kids had made in school, and proudly brought home to show off, or made at home, others were things his wife had brought from her apartment, or picked up on a shopping trip. The pictures were what really interested him though. Ginny had arranged them in chronological order. So, the one he'd kept in his office for three years of the pair of them was sitting on one end, and next to it one of the pair of them that she had kept, that had been taken the year after his. Next to that was their wedding picture, in a pretty silver frame with a snake and a rose entwined at the bottom, a gift from Harry and Hermione. Next was a family picture, taken that same year, with him sitting on a chair, Ginny on his lap and a four year old Silvanna sitting on her lap. It had been cute, and Colin had impulsively snapped a picture. They were all waving at the camera. After that, there was a picture of a five year old Silvanna holding a baby, looking at the camera a little frightened that she was going to drop her new baby brother. The next one was a picture taken in a restaurant on their third anniversary, they were both grinning. The last one up there was a very recent one taken just that summer, at a picnic her family had hosted. A very pregnant Ginny was standing next to a similarly pregnant Hermione, both looking pleased with themselves, while Ron and Lavender were standing to one side of them, holding their two year old boy, Garret, between them. On the other side of them, Neville and Parvati were grinning. Behind them stood the rest of the Weasley clan, wives and children included. Colin was on the other side of Lavender, with his girlfriend on his arm. On the ground in front of them, was himself and Harry, sitting back to back, Harry holding a four year old Andrea on his lap. He was holding his two year old son, Nathan on his lap, and seven year old Silvanna had somehow managed to drape herself across both of their shoulders. Every now and again, everyone would grin and wave at the camera. 

He couldn't believe that only four years ago, there had been nothing sitting on this mantlepiece. He was still surprised at the ease with which the Weasley's had accepted Silvanna as one of their own. Although it was perfectly natural, seeing as she was family. She had adjusted to her suddenly expanded family easier than either he or Ginny had expected. The new attention thrilled her to bits. What worried him a bit was the fact that she was starting to pick up habits that the twins had. Switching real tools with fake ones, and giggling like mad when they backfired. Ginny wasn't worried though, she seemed to think it was just a phase. He let his gaze move up to the painting above the mantlepiece. Ginny had been working on it while she was pregnant, to give her something to do. She had just finished it the other day, and was so pleased with it that she cold hardly wait to see it on a wall somewhere. He had suggested above the fireplace and she agreed. He'd been a little surprised when he'd seen it. It was a wonderful likeness of them, sitting in the center, with a similar likeness of Harry and Hermione on Draco's side, and Ron and Lavender on her side. They were all wearing their Hogwarts robes and colours, but they looked like they did now. Meaning, Ginny's hair was longer, Hermione was sporting her reading glasses, Harry's were not as round, Lavender had her hair shorter, that type of thing. In the background, on his side was Blaise Zabini, the way he'd seen her last, a sad smile on her face and the bleaching fading out. On Ginny's side was Colin, laughing at something. When he'd asked her to explain it to him in more detail, she just shrugged and said that it was a portrayal of loyalty at it's finest. When it came down to the nitty gritty, it was those six people who had helped them out when they needed it the most. It didn't matter how well they'd gotten along beforehand, when there was trouble they all helped each other. 

He started when a baby appeared in his arms and Ginny appeared in front of him, adjusting the left side of the painting. She grinned at him when she turned around. He raised an eyebrow at her. 

"It looked crooked from the doorway." She said. 

"You just like fussing over it."

"So what?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He looked down at the baby. "Is she napping?"

"Yes. She wouldn't go to sleep unless I slept, but she's napping now." Ginny knelt down next to him and peered at their latest baby, Sienna. 

"I think she's going be like you, you know. She's already got the 'I'm a Malfoy' attitude down pat." Ginny giggled.

"So you say now. But when she's replacing our wands with ones that turn into cows, you'll be cursing your brothers." 

"It's just a phase, Draco. Even Hermione says it's a phase." 

"Yes. Sure. We'll see in a few years."

"Where are the other two little devils anyway?"

"Your mother took Sylvie to Diagon Alley with her after school. Said something about birthday shopping. Lavender came and picked up Nathan for a playdate with Garret about an hour ago. They're bringing him back after dinner." 

"So, it's just you and me and the baby, then." She said playfully. 

"It seems so."

"Good. Because she's still asleep. While you and I are still awake."

"Why, my dear, are suggesting something?" 

"You better believe it, buster. Race you to the bedroom!" She cried, jumping up and running for the staircase.

"Hey! That's not fair! I've got to put her down!"

"Good! It gives me time to get ready!" He heard her voice echo down the stairs. He grinned, and got up to follow her. Life was good. 

  
  
  
  


This time, it's really The End. 


End file.
